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UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00022093985 


MISTRESS  MAY 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


y 


http://www.archive.org/details/mistressmayOOblan 


MISTRESS    MAY 


BY 

AMY  E.  BLANCHARD 

rhorof'A  Sweet  Liitle  Maid,"  "Dimple  Dallas,"  "LiUle 
Grandmother  Jo,"  "Little  Maid  Marian,"  etc. 


(qi^^ 


NEW  YORK 

HURST  &  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,   1901,  hy 
George  W.  Jacobs  &  Co 


CONTENTS 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I.    Hek  Home H 

II.    Hee  Neigheoes .25 

III.     Hek  Pets .        43 

VI.    Hek  Plats 61 

V.    Hek  Beotheb  '. 79 

VI.  Her  Nattghttness        ......     97 

Vn.    Hek  Goodness 115 

Vm.    Hek  IiiiiNESS 135 

IX.    Hek  School-days 155 

X.    Hek  Visit 175 

XI.    Hek  Teachek 193 

XII.    Hek  Holidays 213 


HER  HOME 


Mistress  May 

CHAPTER  I 
Her  Home 

MisTEESS  May  sat  upon  the  lowest  step  of  the 
porch  by  the  back  door.  Before  her  were  a  large, 
seK-satisfied  cat,  and  a  small  impertinent  kitten ; 
at  her  elbow  was  an  alert  and  inquisitive  fox-ter- 
rier, while  at  a  short  distance  a  pair  of  diminutive 
bantam  chickens  pecked  industriously.  The  place 
was  rather  new  to  them  all,  for  they  had  just  been 
brought  here  from  the  city  and  were  hardly  ac- 
customed to  their  strange  quarters,  although,  with- 
out exception,  they  were  pleased  with  them. 
Snap,  the  dog,  because  there  was  such  a  range  of 
garden  to  run  in ;  the  cats,  because  it  was  pleas- 
anter  to  lie  in  the  sunshine  on  the  porch  or  in  the 
grass  than  to  be  shut  up  between  four  walls ;  the 

hen  and  rooster,  because  here  were  fine  pickings, 

11 


12  Mistress  May 

and  May,  herself,  because  lier  pets  liked  it,  and 
because  her  own  playground  was  extended. 

She  was  rather  a  romantic  little  soul  and  she 
had  always  been  possessed  with  a  longing  to  sit 
upon  a  doorstep  and  eat  her  supper  from  a  bowl 
of  bread  and  milk  as  did  certain  little  girls  in 
story-books ;  consequently,  upon  the  first  oppor- 
tunity after  her  arrival  in  this  new  home,  she  had 
lost  no  time  in  carrying  out  her  long-felt  wish. 
She  ate  slowly  with  much  satisfaction.  Snap 
looked  on  with  a  pretended  lack  of  interest  in 
what  she  was  doing,  though  all  the  time  his  mouth 
was  watering  and  his  eyes  were  eager.  The 
mother  cat  kept  her  green  eyes  fixed  upon  her 
mistress,  and  the  kitten  every  few  moments 
opened  its  little  pink  mouth  to  give  a  subdued 
and  long  drawn  mew.  The  hen  and  rooster  were 
entirely  content  with  their  own  pickings  and  did 
not  ask  for  May's. 

"I  declare,  children,"  said  the  little  girl,  "you 
act  as  if  you  had  never  had  anything  to  eat,  and 
you  have  all  had  your  supper.  There,  greedies ! " 
She  threw  two  bits  of  the  soaked  bread  upon  the 
ground,  and  the  two  cats  gobbled  them  up  imme- 


Her  Home  13 

diately,  while  Snap,  with  his  head  to  one  side, 
looked  on,  putting  a  reminding  paw  upon  his  mis- 
tress' arm.  "Biddy  and  Buff,  jou  are  the  only 
well-behaved  ones  of  all  the  lot,"  May  went  on ; 
"See,  you  others,  how  they  look  out  for  them- 
selves. Snap,  where  is  that  bone  I  saw  you  hide 
this  morning?  Go  get  that.  Turn  your  green 
eyes  some  other  way,  Pinky,  you  stare  at  me  so, 
you  old  stare  cat  you.  I  am  not  going  to  pay 
any  more  attention  to  you,  so  there." 

She  kept  her  eyes  fixed  on  her  bowl  and  began 
to  murmer  to  herself  : 

"  '  And  often  after  sunset,  sir, 
When  it  is  light  and  fair, 
I  take  my  little  porringer 
And  eat  my  supper  there.' 

No,  I  like  the  other  one  better : 

♦  Thou  knowest  that  twice  a  day  I  have  brought  thee  in 
this  can, 
Fresh  water  from  the  brook  as  clear  as  ever  ran, 
And  twice  in  the  day  when  the  ground  is  wet  with  dew 
I  bring  thee  draughts  of  milk,  warm  milk  it  is  and  new.' 

If  I  wasn't  so  dreadfully  afraid  of  the  cow,  I'd  go 
and  get  some  new  milk  now.     I  wish  I  had  a 


r 


14  Mistress  May- 

lamb  ;  maybe  papa  will  get  me  ona.     I'd  love  to 
say,  'Drink,  pretty  creature,  drink,'  to  it." 

She  carefully  finished  her  last  drop  of  milk  and 
ended  by  saying  :  "  I  really  meant  to  give  you 
kitties  some  of  this,  but  I  like  the  little  crumbs  in 
the  bottom  of  the  bowl,  the  best  of  all,  so  I  can't 
let  you  have  any.  I'll  go  and  get  you  a  tiny  bit 
more  supper  and  then  you'll  be  satisfied." 

She  took  up  her  bowl  and  went  into  the  house, 
followed  by  her  dog  and  cats.  The  hen  and 
rooster  had  concluded  that  it  was  time  to  go  to 
roost  and  had  taken  themselves  off. 

The  tiny  bit  of  supper  sufiiced,  it  seemed,  for 
Pinky  took  her  kitten  to  a  quiet  corner  and  Snap 
went  out  to  hunt  for  some  new  diversion.  Then 
it  was  that  a  tired  little  girl  went  to  find  her 
mother  and  to  rest  her  head  in  that  haven  of 
refuge,  a  comforting  lap. 

"Well,  little  girl,"  said  her  mother,  "how  has 
the  day  gone  for  you  ?  Have  your  children  been 
troublesome  ?  " 

"Yes,  very,"  returned  May.  "Have  yours?'* 
She  laughed  a  little  as  she  asked. 

"  So — so,"  returned  her  mother,  smiling. 


Her  Home  15 

"You  see,"  May  went  on,  "tliere  is  so  mucli 
more  room  for  tliem  here  and  they  wander 
away  where  I  can't  find  them.  Snap  will  go 
rooting  around  and  gets  himself  so  dreadful 
dirty,  and  Pinky  will  go  sneaking  after  the  birds  ; 
I  had  to  give  her  a  dousing  twice  to-day  to 
stop  hero  Then  Biddy  and  Buff  will  get  under 
the  fence  into  the  next  garden ;  they  are  so  little, 
you  know,  that  they  can  creep  through  almost 
anywhere." 

"  Then  it  would  almost  seem  as  if  we  had  bet- 
ter have  stayed  in  the  city." 

"No,  indeed.  Don't  say  such  a  thing,  mamma. 
I  wouldn't  go  back  for  anything." 

"Well,  you  see  I  have  the  same  trouble  that 
you  have.  The  baby  trots  off  and  gets  into  mud- 
puddles  before  I  know  it,  and  my  other  daughter 
gets  under  fences  and  down  into  hollows  where 
she  has  no  business  to  go,  and  my  boy  goes  off 
where  I  can't  find  him,  so  you  see  my  children 
are  giving  me  lots  of  trouble." 

May  hid  her  face  and  said  with  a  little  laugh, 
that  sounded  as  if  tears  were  not  very  far  from 
her  eyes  :  "  I  won't  get  under  the  fence  any  more, 


1 6  Mistress  May 

mamma ;  I'll  climb  over  it,  for  it  is  so  lovely  in 
that  hollow  ;  you  don't  know  how  lovely  it  is." 

"  That's  what  Buii'  and  Biddy  think,  no  doubt, 
when  they  get  away  into  pleasant  places." 

May  laid  her  cheek  against  her  mother's  hand. 
"  I  see,  mamma,  and  I  won't  go  unless  you  say  I 
may,  for  I  understand  that  you  worry  over  your 
childi'en  more  than  I  do  over  mine." 

'  "  I  don't  mind  your  going  if  others  are  with 
you,  but  I  don't  like  you  to  go  alone." 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  lamb,"  said  May,  turning  the 
subject  suddenly. 

Her  mother  laughed.  "  What  a  sudden  wish. 
Haven't  you  pets  enough  ?  You  have  just  told 
me  what  a  trouble  those  you  have  were  to  you." 

"  I  have  wanted  a  lamb  for  ever  so  long ;  ever 
since  I  learned  about  little  '  Barbara  Lewthwaite, 
a  child  of  beauty  rare.'  " 

Her  mother  laughed.  "  What  a  romantic  little 
chick  it  is.  Well,  some  day  perhaps  you  can  have 
a  lamb,  but  now  I  must  see  that  my  little  lambkin 
is  safe  in  bed.  You'd  better  go  down  and  keep 
papa  company  till  I  come.     He  is  in  the  library." 

May  ran  down-stairs  and  entered  the  library 


Her  Home  17 

wliere  lier  father  sat  reading  the  evening  paper. 
He  looked  up  and  smiled.  "  Well,  May  Garland, 
did  you  just  come  from  an  apple-tree  or  a  thorn- 
bush?" 

May  went  up  close  to  him  and  leaned  against 
his  shoulder.  "  There  are  May  garlands  every- 
where now,  aren't  there,  papa  ?  I  hope  I  haven't 
any  thorns  about  me ;  I'd  rather  be  made  of 
apple-blossoms." 

"And  turn  into  a  rosy-cheeked  apple?  I'd 
rather  you  would  do  that,  for  then  you  would  be 
much  more  useful." 

May  looked  thoughtful.  "  I  suppose  I  do  have 
prickly  thorns  sometimes.  I  came  so  near  scratch- 
ing Jack  to-day,"  she  told  him  solemnly. 

"  How  was  that  ?  " 

"He  pinched  the  kitten's  tail  and  made  poor 
little  Pat  cry,  and  I  would  have  pinched  and 
scratched  him  back  only  Pinky  scratched  him  for 
me,  so  I  didn't  have  to." 

Her  father  strove  to  hide  a  smile,  but  said 
gravely :  "  Even  if  he  did  wrong  you  shouldn't 
have  wanted  to  do  wrong,  too,  for  two  wrongs 
don't  make  a  right." 


i8  Mistress  May 

"  No,  but  I  liate  to  see  poor  little  animals  hurt 
when  thej  are  so  little  and  can't  take  care  of 
i  themselves." 

"  In  this  case  they  seemed  to  be  able  to  do  so." 

"  All  animals  can't.     Lambs  can't,  can  they  ?  " 

"  Why  yes,  to  a  certain  extent ;  they  can  butt 
with  their  heads." 

"Real  hard?" 

"  "WTien  they  are  strong  and  big,  they  can  butt 
pretty  hard." 

May  considered  this  for  a  while,  then  she  called  : 
"  Jack,  Jack  !  " 

Her  little  brother  came  in  from  the  porch  where 
he  was  swinging  in  the  hammock. 

"  Jack,"  said  May,  going  to  meet  him,  "  I  want 
you  to  butt  me  with  your  head.  I  want  to  see 
how  it  feels." 

Jack  was  nothing  loath,  and,  before  his  sister 
was  ready  for  him,  over  she  went  on  the  floor. 

She  picked  herself  up  laughing.  "  That  wasn't 
fair,  Jack.     I  was  not  ready." 

"You  said  butt,  and  I  butted." 

"  I  know,  but  I  didn't  mean  that  very  minute." 

"  What  did  you  want  me  to  do  it  for,  anyhow  ?  " 


Her  Home  19 

"Because  I  wanted  to  see  if  it  Imrt  very  mucli 
to  be  butted.  I  don't  think  I'd  mind  it  mucli. 
You  know  I  bave  always  wanted  a  lamb  so  much 
and  papa  said  lambs  can  butt." 

"  Ho !  I'd  rather  have  a  goat.  What's  the  use 
of  a  lamb,  anyhow  ?  " 

"  They're  so  pretty." 

"They're  not  a  bit  of  use,  and  a  goat  can  be 
hitched  to  a  cart  and  can  take  you  all  around." 

"Oh,  but  I  shouldn't  like  that;  I'd  feel  so 
sorry  for  the  poor  little  goat.  I  don't  believe 
goats  like  it     Papa,  please  don't  get  us  a  goat." 

"  My  dear,  I  never  in  my  wildest  moments  con- 
templated such  a  thing." 

"  But  please,  papa,  I  would  like  a  lamb." 

"  And  a  rabbit,  and  a  monkey,  and  a  parrot,  and 
a  canary-bird  " 

"  No,  no,  I  wouldn't  like  anything  that  had  to 
be  sWt  up  in  a  cage." 

"But  why  do  you  want  a  lamb?  " 

"  They  are  so  soft  and  woolly,  and  besides,"  she 
hung  her  head  a  trifle  shyly,  "I  want  to  say 
*  Drink,  pretty  creature,  drink,'  to  it." 

Her  father  laughed  heartily.     "  You  are  a  sen- 


20  Mistress  May 

timental  little  goose,"  lie  declared.  "  If  that's  all 
jou  want  a  lamb  for  I  think  you  can  get  along 
without  it.  What  have  you  children  been  doing- 
to-day  ?  " 

"  The  cow  came  first  thing  this  morning,  you 
know,  papa,"  said  Jack,  "  and  I  helped  Peter  get 
her  place  in  the  stable  ready,  and  what  do  you 
think,  papa.  May  wouldn't  eat  her  supper  with  us  ; 
she  said  she  didn't  want  anything  but  bread  and 
milk,  and  she  would  eat  it  out  on  the  back  porch." 

*'  That  is  what  little  country  girls  always  eat," 
May  declared. 

"  This  isn't  real  country." 

"  Well,  it  most  is,  and  I  wanted  to  see  how  it 
would  feel  to  eat  it  out  there." 

"  And  how  did  you  like  it  ? "  asked  her 
father. 

"Ever  so  much.  It  was  so  smell-sweety,  and 
there  were  little  birds  flying  into  a  tall  chimney 
over  there.  They  whirled  around  and  dropped  in 
one  after  another.  I  hope  there  wasn't  any  fire 
in  the  house  below  them  to  bum  them  up." 

Her  father  laughed.  "You  are  incorrigible, 
IMay.     The  little  birds  were  swallows  and  they 


Her  Home  2i 

have  tlieir  neste  in  the  chimney.  They  are  called 
chimney-swifts,  too." 

"  Oh,  have  they  nests  in  there  ?  Are  they 
the  kind :  *  When  the  swallows  homeward 
fly?"' 

"Yery  likely  they  are  the  same.  They  are 
rather  interesting  little  creatures.  I  used  to  watch 
them  when  I  was  a  boy,  many  and  many  a  time. 
They  seem  to  know  theii'  own  special  places  in  the 
ranks  and  they  circle  round  and  round  and  get 
into  position  like  a  body  of  soldiers." 

"  Ho !  I'm  going  to  watch  them,"  said  Jack,  at 
once  interested. 

"  And  so  am  I,"  May  put  in.  "  Do  you  believe 
there  are  any  in  our  chimneys  ?  "  She  glanced 
toward  the  fireplace  as  she  spoke. 

"  No,  I  think  not.  This  house  is  too  new.  The 
chimney  where  they  went  in  is  a  very  old  one. 
The  house  belongs  to  a  Mr.  Atkinson,  and  I  sup- 
pose the  swallows  have  been  living  in  that  chim- 
ney for  years  and  years." 

"I'd  like  to  see  one  of  those  soldier  fellows 
close,  too,"  said  Jack. 

"  I'd  like  to  see  down  the  chimney  when  they're 


22  Mistress  May 

going  in,"  May  added.  "  How  old  is  this  house, 
papa  ?  " 

"Not  more  tlian  a  couple  of  years  old.  Mr. 
Dallas  built  it." 

"  Is  that  the  name  of  the  people  who  live  next 
door  ?  "  May  asked. 

"Yes,  and  I  hojoe  you  and  the  little  girl  who 
lives  there  will  be  good  friends." 

"  Are  there  any  boys  ?  "  spoke  up  Jack. 

"  No  boys,  only  one  little  girl." 

"  But  there  are  jjlenty  of  boys  all  about,"  said 
May,  reassuringly,  "  and  you  can  play  with  us, 
Jack,  until  you  get  acquainted.  I'm  glad  we  came 
here  where  we  can  play  out,  papa,  for  it  is  so  much 
better  than  to  be  shut  up  in  a  city  house.  There 
is  the  dearest  little  place  down  on  the  other  side 
of  the  garden,  between  here  and  the  place  where 
the  swallows  live  ?  There  is  a  little  brook  there 
and  ever  so  many  wild  flowers.  Jack  and  I  f  oiiud 
lots  of  violets  there  to-day,  and  it's  just  lovely." 

"  I  wouldn't  advise  you  to  spend  too  much  time 
there,  for  it  is  rather  damp,  and  when  you  do  go 
you  must  keep  off  the  wet  ground." 

*'  We  will  put  on  rubbers,  won't  we,  Jack  ?     We 


Her  Home  23 

want  to  have  a  battle  of  Manila  there  to-mor- 
row; Jack  is  getting  the  fleet  and  Admiral 
Dewey  ready  now.  Oh,  Jack,  we  must  not  for- 
get that  we  are  going  to  cut  out  soldiers  this 
evening.  We  have  a  beautiful  admiral,  papa. 
Mamma  gave  him  to  us  He  was  in  a  mag- 
azine." 

"  Of  powder  ?  "  her  father  asked. 

May  looked  puzzled,  and  Jack  looked  im- 
portant "  Pshaw !  I  know  what  he  means," 
said  the  latter.  "That's  where  they  store 
the  gunpowder,  isn't  it  papa?  Girls  are  so 
stupid." 

"  They  are  not,  either,"  May  retorted.  "  I  know 
lots  of  things  that  you  don't.  Is  it  where  they 
store  powder,  papa  ?  " 

"  Yes,  a  storehouse  for  powder  is  called  a  pow- 
der magazine." 

"  And  if  the  admiral  stays  there  he  might  get 
blown  up.  Hurry,  hurry,  Jack,  let  us  get 
our  admiral  out  before  anything  happens  to 
him.  "We've  got  to  get  Aguinaldo,  too,  and  a 
whole  lot  of  Fillipinos.  Come  on,  it  will  be 
bedtime  before  you  can  say  Jack  Robinson,  and 


24  Mistress  May 

we'll    have    to    put   oflf    the   attack   till   another 
day" 

Roused  to  a  sense  of  immediate  action,  Jack 
followed  his  sister's  lead  and  they  were  soon  busy 
over  their  newspapers  and  magazines. 


HER  NEIGHBORS 


CHAPTER  n 

Her  Neighbors 

The  next  day  May  and  Jack  betook  themselves 
to  tlie  little  lioUow  by  tlie  side  of  the  garden.  It 
was  not  an  unsafe  spot  in  spite  of  tlie  small  run- 
ning brook  wliich  trickled  tlirough  it,  for  the 
brook  was  shallow  and  the  place  was  sufficiently 
near  to  the  house  to  be  seen  from  the  upper  win- 
dows ;  besides  this,  it  was  fenced  in  and  a  sign  of 
warning  to  trespassers  prevented  any  intrusion, 
so  the  children  felt  entirely  to  themselves. 

The  were  in  the  midst  of  the  most  thrilling  part 
of  their  battle  of  Manila,  and  Jack  was  exploding 
fire-crackers  from  a  toy  cannon  when  they  heard  a 
voice  say  :  "  See,  Rock,  isn't  that  fine  ?  " 

Both  chfldren  looked  up  to  see  peeping  over  the 
fence  a  pretty  fair-haired  little  girl  and  a  boy 
somewhat  older.  They  were  both  older  than  the 
Garland  children  who  were  somewhat  abashed  at 
sight  of  these  witnesses  to  their  play. 

27 


28  Mistress  May 

"  What  is  it  ?  Please  tell  us,"  said  tlie  strange 
little  girl. 

"  It's  Manila,"  answered  Jack,  looking  do^vn  at 
Lis  very  primitive  fleet  anchored  in  a  tiny  cove, 
"  and  this  is  Dewey,"  He  pointed  to  the  large  and 
imposing  figure  of  his  admiral  towering  loftily 
above  the  rest  of  the  paper  marines. 

"  Oh !     Do  you  mind  if  we  come  over  ?  " 

Jack  looked  at  May  and  the  two  looked  at  the 
smiling  face  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence.  "  Xo, 
I  reckon  not,"  said  Jack. 

"  I  am  Dimple  Dallas,"  the  little  girl  informed 
them  ;  "  that  is,  most  every  one  calls  me  Dimple, 
hut  I  am  Eleanor,  really." 

"  Oh,  I  thought  you  lived  the  other  side  of  us," 
May  said. 

"  So  we  do,  but  we  came  over  to  Mr.  Atkinson's 
this  morning.  You  know  he  lives  here  and  we 
came  down  in  this  direction.  Mamma  lets  me 
come  when  Rock  is  with  me,  but  she  doesn't  like 
me  to  go  the  other  side  away  from  home  and  to- 
ward the  river.  I  knoAV  who  you  are.  Papa  told 
me  all  about  you.  Your  name  is  May  Garland 
and  your  brother   is  Jack,  and  there   is  a  baby 


Her  Neighbors  29 

named  Rose  Garland.  I  tliink  you  liave  tlie  lov- 
liest  name  :  Garland.  I  wisli  mj  name  was  Gar* 
land ;  it  sounds  so  beautiful,  and  I  do  want  to  see 
the  baby." 

May's  face  beamed.  This  appealed  to  her. 
Here  was  some  one  who  could  understand  her 
little  sentiments,  and  she  looked  up,  all  her  soul  in 
her  dark  eyes.  "  I  think  Eleanor  is  a  lovely  name, 
too,  and  I  am  very  glad  to  have  you  come  over  to 
our  battle,"  offering  the  entertainment  in  her  best 
manner.  "  Our  baby  is  named  Rosalie,"  she  added, 
"  but  we  call  her  Rosy.  She  isn't  a  little  baby, 
you  know,  for  she  is  two  years  old,  but  she  is  a 
dear,  and  I'd  just  love  to  have  you  come  and  see 
her." 

"This  is  my  cousin,  Rock  Hardy,"  Eleanor 
said,  "  and  he's  an  awfully  nice  boy.  He  can  play 
anything," 

"  Except  the  trombone,"  Rock  put  in,  gravely. 

Eleanor  gave  him  a  soft  little  tap.  "  Goosey- 
gander,  you  know  I  didn't  mean  music ;  I  meant 
just  play  plays.  Come  on.  Rock,  and  let's  help  to 
take  Manila  ;  we  are  reinforcements,  aren't  we  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  they  are    reinforcements,"    repeated 


30  Mistress  May- 

May.  And  the  bombarding  and  figbting  went  on 
more  furionslj  tban  ever  till  a  cbanoe  sbot  from  a 
wicked  fire-cracker  popped  tlie  lofty  admiral  into 
tbe  water  and  be  bad  to  be  fisbed  out. 

Jack  looked  at  bim  ruefully.  "Dewey  wasn't 
wounded,"  be  said. 

"  No,  so  be  wasn't,"  Rock  agreed.  "  We'll  bave 
to  call  bim  Cervera,  you  know  be  was  fisbed  out 
of  tbe  water,  and  we'll  pretend  tbat  tbe  battle  of 
Manila  is  over  and  tbat  tbis  is  tbe  battle  of  San- 
tiago ;  tbat  rock  over  tbere  will  make  a  splendid 
Morro  Castle." 

Tbe  boys  continued  tbeir  play,  but  tbe  girls 
concluded  tbat  one  battle  a  day  was  enougb  for 
tbem,  and  tbey  wandered  off  a  sbort  distance,  and 
sat  down  on  a  rock  to  talk  over  matters  more  in- 
teresting to  tbem. 

"  Is  tbat  your  dear  little  pony  tbat  I  saw  yes- 
terday ?  "  May  asked. 

"Yes.     Isn't    be    a    darling?     I've    bad    bim 
about  a  year,  and  I'll  come  and  take  you  out  to      '' 
drive  some  day,  if  you  would  like  to  go." 

"  Ob,  will  you  ?  "  May  clasped  ber  bands  in  de- 
ligbt.     "  Tbat  will  be  lovely.     I'd  just  love  to  go. 


Her  Neighbors  31 

Tell  me  what  tliat  ciinning  little  lionse  in  jour 
yard  is  for.  Jack  sajs  it  is  just  a  kind  of  work- 
house and  I  say  it  is  for  some  of  your  pets." 

"It  isn't  for  either  of  those  things,"  Eleanor 
replied,  laughing.  "It  is  my  playhouse.  My 
dolls  live  there.     Do  you  like  dolls  ?  " 

"Tes,  pretty  well.  I  like  live  things  better. 
Oh,  that  reminds  me ;  I  forgot  all  about  Pinky 
and  Pat ;  I  must  go  and  get  them.  I'll  be  right 
back."  She  went  off  to  where,  under  a  tree,  stood 
a  small  baby-carriage,  about  large  enough  for  a 
good-sized  doll ;  this  she  trundled  over  to  where 
Eleanor  sat.  "  They  are  all  right,"  she  announced, 
as  she  came  up.  "  They  have  been  fast  asleep  all 
this  time ;  the  fire-crackers  didn't  scare  them  a 
bit." 

Eleanor  peeped  into  the  carriage  expecting  to 
see  two  dolls,  when  to  her  sui-prise  she  saw,  snug- 
gled up  closely  together,  a  cat  and  kitten  clad  in 
the  clothes  of  two  dolls.  Their  furry  faces,  from 
under  the  borders  of  their  caps,  looked  very  funny 
and  Eleanor  laughed  heartily.  "What  funny 
dolls ! " 

May  lifted  one  out  gently  and  smoothed  out  the 


32  Mistress  May 

long  wliite  frock  it  Avore.  "I  like  them,"  slie 
said,  "  'cause  they  are  alive,  and  they  don't  mind 
a  bit  being  dressed  up ;  I  think  they  like  it.  See 
how  good  they  are."  She  deposited  the  kitten 
on  Eleanor's  lap  and  took  Pinky  upon  her  own. 
They  looked  very  helpless  but  seemed  perfectly 
content.  "I  have  a  dog,  too,  that  I  sometimes 
dress  up,"  May  went  on,  "  but  he  doesn't  like  it 
much,  and  I  can't  put  clothes  on  Buif  and  Biddy." 
She  laughed. 

"  Who  are  they  ?  " 

"  My  little  bantams." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  saw  them — "  Eleanor  paused. 

"  They  got  under  the  fence  into  your  garden,  I 
know."  May  looked  distressed.  "  I  am  so  sorry ; 
they  aren't  obedient  children,  but  jjapa  has  a  man 
there  to-day  putting  chicken  wire  all  along  so 
they  can't  get  in." 

"  We  didn't  mind,"  Eleanor  hastened  to  reassure 
her.      "  It  was  Sylvy  who  shooed  them  out." 

"  They  will  not  do  it  again,"  May  said.  "  Did 
you  ever  have  a  pet  lamb  ?  "  she  asked,  after  a 
pause. 

"  No,  I  don't  believe  that  I  would  care  for  one." 


Her  Neighbors  33 

"  I  want  one  awfully,  but  I  don't  believe  papa 
will  get  me  one.     Do  tliey  cost  very  mucli  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  they  do.  I'll  tell  you  what  we 
will  do :  we  will  go  out  to  Mr.  Snyder's ;  he  is 
our  butterman,  and  he  is  the  nicest  man.  There 
are  lots  of  lambs  put  there,  and  we  will  ask  him 
all  about  them.  Rock  can  drive  us  out.  Mamma 
doesn't  like  me  to  go  out  in  the  country  alone." 

May  drew  a  long  sigh  of  satisfaction.  Surely 
this  was  the  nicest  soi-t  of  neighbor  to  have. 

The  kitten  by  this  time  was  beginning  to  get 
restless  and  so  the  two  little  girls  decided  to  go 
up  to  the  house,  leaving  the  boys  to  follow  when 
they  had  finished  their  game.  "  We're  going  to 
May's  house,"  Eleanor  informed  Rock,  "  and  when 
you  have  battered  down  Morro  Castle  you  can 
come  too.  Rock." 

"  Oh,  I'll  bring  him  with  me,"  said  Jack.  He 
felt  very  much  flattered  that  a  boy  so  much  older 
than  himself  should  be  willing  to  play  with  him, 
and  he  wanted  to  have  it  known  that  he  consid- 
ered Rock  his  company. 

Eleanor  and  May  proceeded  tov/ard  the  house, 
wheeling  the  carriage  before  them.     It  was  nearly 


34  Mistress  May 

noon,  and  tlie  snn  was  liigli  overhead.  The  air 
was  sweet  with  apple  blossoms,  and  the  trees  were 
beginning  to  make  quite  a  shade.  "Don't  you 
like  it  here  ?  "  Eleanor  asked. 

"  Indeed  I  do,"  May  replied.  "  I  am  so  glad 
papa  brought  us  here,  and  that  we  are  your  nest- 
door  neighbors." 

"  So  am  I,"  Eleanor  returned,  "  yet  I  was  very 
sorry  j)apa  fenced  off  this  side  of  our  place  and 
built  this  house.  I  was  so  afraid  somebody  I 
didn't  like  might  come  here  to  live,  I  was  afraid 
Cousin  Ellen  might." 

"Who  is  she?" 

"  Oh,  some  one  I  am  not  fond  of.  She  lives  at 
the  other  end  of  town." 

"  I  am  glad  we  didn't  go  down  that  way  ;  I  like 
this  end  so  much  better ;  it  seems  more  like  the 
country,  somehow,  and  that  is  such  a  lovely 
place  of  Mr.  Atkinson's.  I  peep  through  the 
fence  whenever  I  go  by  there,  and  wish  I  could  go 
in." 

"  So  you  can.  I'll  take  you.  Mr.  Atkinson  is 
a  particular  friend  of  mine  and  he  tells  me  to 
come  there  whenever  I  want,  and  I  know  he  won't 


Her  Neighbors  35 

mind  my  taking  you.  Are  you  going  to  scliool 
this  year  ?  " 

"No,  not  till  the  fall.  Papa  said  it  was  not 
worth  while  to  begin  so  late,  for  it  will  only  be 
two  or  three  weeks  before  the  summer  holidays 
begin,  and  I  have  my  lessons  for  a  little  while 
every  day  with  mamma." 

"  I  wish  you  had  come  a  week  sooner." 

"Why?" 

"Because  you  could  have  come  to  my  May 
party.  My  cousin  Florence  was  here  and  she  was 
queen  of  May." 

"  Oh,  how  lovely." 

"  Yes,  it  was  nice ;  it  is  too  bad  you  couldn't 
have  been  here." 

May  thought  so,  too.  "  "Where  is  your  cousin 
now  ?  "  she  asked. 

"She  has  gone  home.  Her  sister  is  going 
to  be  married  the  first  of  June  and  she  couldn't 
stay." 

They  had  reached  the  house  by  this  time 
and  sat  down  on  the  step  of  the  porch  to  rest. 
Across  in  Eleanor's  garden  some  one  was  singing 
lustily : 


36  Mistress  May 

"  I'm  glad  I'm  in  dis  army, 
Yes,  I'm  glad  I'm  in  dis  army, 
Yes,  I'm  glad  I'm  in  dis  army, 
And  I'm  batter  for  de  school." 

Eleanor  rested  lier  cliin  in  her  two  hands  and 
listened,  laughing  softly.  "  That's  Bubbles,"  she 
told  May.  "  She  is  our  little  colored  girl  and  she 
always  gets  things  in  such  a  firony  way.  When 
she  sings  that  thing  she  is  singing  now.  Rock  says 
he  supposes  she  thinks  she  is  singing  about  a 
game  of  base-ball,  but  I  don't  believe  she  thinks 
about  it  one  way  or  the  other.  She  sings  things 
without  caring  for  anything  but  the  tune." 

May  was  busily  engaged  in  freeing  the  cats 
from  their  garments.  "  Here,  you  may  go,  Pinky, 
and  you,  Pat,"  she  said,  putting  them  down  on  the 
walk.  "  I've  seen  that  little  gii'l,"  she  said.  "  Has 
she  always  lived  with  you  ?  " 

"Always,  and  I  love  her  dearly.  There  she 
comes  now.  She  is  looking  for  me.  I  suppose 
mamma  thinks  it  is  time  for  me  to  come  home.  I 
am  glad  it  is  Saturday,  though  I  like  school  pretty 
well.  I  hope  you  will  go  to  our  school  next  year. 
I  wonder  if  your  mother  will  let  you  come  over 
and  play  with  me  this  afternoon." 


Her  Neighbors  37 

*'  In  your  playhouse  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  you  choose ;  or  anywhere." 

"  Will  your  cousin  Rock  be  there  ?  "  May  felt 
that  she  would  rather  he  were  not. 

"Tes,  but  bring  Jack  and  then  the  boys  can 
play  by  themselves." 

"  Does  Kock  live  here  ?  " 

"  No,  he  is  here  for  a  visit ;  he  came  up  to  go  to 
the  May  party." 

"  Is  his  father  a  soldier '?  " 

"No  he  is  a  cotton-broker.  What  made  you 
think  he  was  a  soldier  ?  " 

"Oh,  because  Rock  seems  to  know  so  much 
about  battles  and  such  things." 

"  That  is  only  because  he  is  a  boy.  Will  you 
come  over  ?  " 

"  If  mamma  will  let  me." 

"  All  right  I  will  expect  you.  Come  as  soon 
as  you  can  and  bring  your  dolls.  Maybe  mamma 
will  let  us  have  a  tea-pai*ty,  not  a  real  one  with 
lots  of  things,  but  just  crackers  and  milk,  or  maybe 
cake  and  lemonade.  Sylvy  always  bakes  on  Satur- 
day, so  I  think  we  can  have  cake.  There,  Bubbles 
is  beckoning  to  me,  so  I  must  go."     And  she  ran 


38  Mistress  May 

off,  leaving  May  to  look  after  lier.  Presently,  liow- 
ever,  Eleanor  stopped.  "Don't  forget  to  bring 
Jack,  and  I  wish  I  liad  time  to  see  the  baby,  but  I 
will  come  again." 

May  nodded  and  went  into  the  house  to  ask  her 
mother's  j)ermission  to  make  the  visit.  "  She  is 
such  a  dear  little  girl,  mamma,"  she  said,  "  and  I 
know  you  will  let  me  play  with  her." 

"  Certainly  I  will,"  her  mother  told  her.  "  I  am 
quite  sure  she  is  a  nice  little  girl  and  I've  not  the 
slightest  objection  to  your  going  over  to  play  with 
her,  but  you  must  not  stay  too  long,  and  you  must 
ask  Mrs.  Dallas  to  allow  Eleanor  to  come  over  and 
play  with  you." 

"  May  Jack  go,  too  ?  " 

"  Was  he  invited  ?  " 

"Yes,  mamma,  he  was.  He  and  Bock  are 
coming  now." 

"  Is  that  Eock  ?  "  Mrs.  Garland  asked,  "  Why 
he  is  twice  as  old  as  Jack.  I  am  afraid  he  will  be 
bored  by  a  little  boy  like  Jack  tagging  after  him." 

"  Oh,  no,  he  won't.  They  have  been  playing 
together  all  morning,  and  Eleanor  said  very  par- 
ticularly to  bring  him." 


Her  Neighbors  39 

Mrs.  Garland  looked  uncertain,  but  Eock  him- 
self asked  if  Jack  couldn't  come  over  that  after- 
noon. "  You  see,"  Rock  said,  "  Eleanor  won't  use 
Spice  this  afternoon,  and  if  you  don't  object,  Mrs. 
Garland,  Jack  and  I  can  take  a  drive.  Spice  is  as 
gentle  as  a  kitten  and  Eleanor  drives  him  all  about, 
except  out  in  the  lonely  country  roads,  so  there  is 
no  danger." 

Jack's  eager  eyes  besought  his  mother's  per- 
mission. 

"  If  you  are  sure  you  will  like  to  have  Jack  I 
shall  be  very  glad  to  have  him  go  with  you,"  Mrs. 
Garland  said,  finally.  "  I  am  sure  it  will  be  a 
great  pleasure  to  him.'* 

Rock  put  his  hand  on  the  younger  boy's  shoul- 
der. "  All  right,  old  fellow.  I'll  be  on  hand  about 
three  o'clock,  and  if  you  feel  like  coming  over  with 
your  sister  just  come  down  to  the  stable  and  you 
will  find  me  there." 

May  felt  a  little  jealous  that  Jack  should  be  the 
one  to  have  the  first  drive,  but  she  did  not  say 
anything  except :  "  Eleanor  is  going  to  take  me 
out  some  day." 

She  soon  forgot  the  little  feeling  of  envy,  how- 


40  Mistress  May 

ever,  and  with  lier  two  prettiest  dolls  in  the  car- 
riage which  the  cats  had  occupied  in  the  morning, 
she  presented  herself  at  Eleanor's  playhouse  soon 
after  dinner.  Kock  had  borne  Jack  off  to  the 
stable  to  harness  up  Spice  while  May  waited  at 
the  door  of  the  playhouse. 

Presently  Eleanor's  smiling  face  appeared,  and 
May  was  ushered  into  the  pretty  little  room  where 
Eleanor's  books  and  playthings  were.  May 
thought  she  had  never  seen  such  a  fascinating 
place  and  she  was  divided  between  her  longing  to 
look  at  the  books  and  her  desire  to  play  with  the 
dolls. 

"  This  is  my  Rubina,"  Eleanor  told  her,  holding 
up  a  large  handsome  doll,  "  and  this  is  my  dear 
little  Ada.     What  are  your  dolls  named  ?  " 

*'Violetta,  is  the  big  one,  and  the  other  is 
ClaribeL" 

"  What  sweet  names,"  Eleanor  declared.  "  Now 
you  take  whichever  end  of  the  room  you  want  and 
make  yourself  at  home.  Bubbles  will  be  here 
after  while  with  the  cakes  and  lemonade.  She 
can  make  real  good  lemonade.  Then  we'll  let  the 
dolls  have  all  they  want  and  when  we  have  had 


Her  Neighbors  41 

the  party  we  will  look  at  tlie  books.  Don't  you 
love  the  Jungle  books  ?  " 

"  I  love  anything  about  animals,"  May  replied, 
"  and  I  love  poetry." 

"  Do  you  ?  I  do,  sometimes.  I  like  things  that 
make  my  blood  run  cold,  like  the  Pied  Piper  and 
such  things." 

"  I  like  about  Barbara  Lewthwaite,  and, '  We  are 
Seven,'  and  '  There's  no  dew  left  on  the  daisies 
and  clover,'  but  I  like  stories,  too."  ] 

"  Then  I'll  teU  you  what  we'll  do  :  we'll  have  a 
— a  sort  of  reading  for  the  dolls  and  you  can  say 
the  daisy  and  clover  piece  for  them.  We'll  have 
it  for  the — ^the  benefit  of — let  me  see — for  the 
benefit  of  Mr.  Atkinson's  swallows."  Eleanor 
spoke  very  soberly. 

May  laughed.     "  Why,  they  don't  need  it." 

"Maybe  they  do,  and  anyhow  they  would  be 
very  grateful  if  we  were  to  have  the  pay  in 
worms." 

"Worms?" 

"Yes,  or  anything  like  that.  Of  course  they 
wouldn't  want  real  money,  so  we  can  have  make 
believe  money  and  they  can  be  make  believe  peo- 


42  Mistress  May- 

pie.     Thej  must  be  poor,  jou  know,  or  so  many 
of  tliem  wouldn't  live  in  one  big  tenement  house." 

May  was  delighted  with  this  fancy.  She  fairly 
beamed  on  Eleanor.  "  You  are  so  nice,"  she  said. 
"  I  like  you  and  I  want  you  for  my  dearest  fi'iend, 
but  I'm  not  quite  as  old  as  you." 

"  Oh,  that  is  no  matter.  Of  course  I  can't  have 
anyone  come  before  Florence,  for  she  is  almost 
my  sister,  but  you  can  come  next." 

May  was  very  much  pleased  with  this  accept- 
ance of  her  friendship,  and  for  the  next  hour  the 
dolls  were  vastly  entei*tained,  first  by  the  choice 
selections  given  them  and  then  by  the  dainties  of- 
fered, and  even  if  they  had  to  eat  by  proxy  thej 
were  so  very  attentive  to  the  readings  that  we  may 
suppose  they  heard,  even  if  they  did  not  say  so. 


HER  PETS 


CHAPTER  m 
Her  Pets 

It  took  a  very  few  days  for  May  and  Eleanor  to 
become  good  friends,  and  tlie  very  next  Saturday 
the  two  little  girls  with  Kock  in  attendance  started 
for  a  drive  out  the  country  road  which  led  to  Mr. 
Snyder's.  It  was  keen  delight  to  May  to  watch 
the  pretty  little  Shetland  pony,  which  trotted  along 
so  briskly,  shaking  his  shaggy  mane  and  seeming 
to  enjoy  the  outing  as  much  as  did  the  children. 
The  woods  were  full  of  sweet  odors  and  the  or- 
chards along  the  way  were  a  mass  of  bloom. 

Good  Mrs.  Snyder  made  them  very  welcome ; 
she  was  very  fond  of  Eleanor  and  made  a  great 
pet  of  her.  "  Lambs  ?  You  want  to  see  lambs," 
she  said.  "  Well  you  shall  see  'em  to  your  heart's 
content.  We've  as  pretty  a  lot  as  anyone  could 
wish,  and  young  calves  as  well,  not  to  mention 
chicks.  You  like  all  those  things,  sissy  ?  "  She 
smiled  down  at  May.     "  So  do  I.     Now  let  me  see 

45 


46  Mistress  May 

how  you  like  my  doughnuts  and  then  we'll  go 
and  look  at  the  lambs." 

Eleanor  had  tasted  Mrs.  Snyder's  doughnuts 
before,  and  knew  how  good  they  were,  and  she 
nodded  to  May  as  much  as  to  say :  "  You'll  be 
glad  you  came  when  you  taste  those." 

This  treat  was  soon  over  for  the  children  were 
hungry  after  their  long  drive  and  did  not  linger 
over  their  spicy  twists.  Then  Mrs.  Snyder  led 
the  way  to  the  back  of  the  house.  Passing  down 
a  garden  where  green  things  were  sprouting, 
where  peas  were  a-bloom  and  strawberries  were 
showing  a  little  tinge  of  color,  they  went  on  to 
where  upon  a  hillside  they  saw  numbers  of  little 
lambs  frisking  about  with  their  mothers,  and  bleat- 
ing in  so  many  different  keys  that  it  made  the 
children  laugh  to  hear  them, 

"  Oh,  how  lovely  they  are  !  "  cried  May. 

"  Think  so  ?  "  Mr.  Snyder  had  come  up.  "  Well, 
I  can't  say  I  admhe  'em,  awk'ard  long-legged 
things.  Look  at  that  one  now ;  it's  about  the 
awk'ardest  crittur  I  ever  did  see." 

"  There's  a  little  black  one,  two,  of  them,"  cried 
Eleanor.     "  Baa,  baa,  black  sheep,  have  you  any 


Ker  Pets  47 

■wool  ?  "  She  went  up  and  held  out  her  hand,  but 
the  lambs  kicked  up  theii-  heels  aud  frolicked  off. 

"  T\Tiat's  the  matter  with  that  tiny  tottering  one 
over  there  ?  "  May  asked,  wdth  much  concern. 

"That's  rather  a  weakling,"  Mrs.  Snyder  told 
her.  "  Sometimes  we  have  to  raise  them  by  hand, 
they  are  so  puling ;  but  it  is  a  nuisance.  In  the 
spring  I  often  have  my  hands  full  with  motherless 
lambs,  and  weakly  calves,  and  chicks  that  have 
come  out  when  it  was  too  cold  for  them." 

"  Oh,  I  should  think  it  would  be  nice  to  have 
them  in  the  house,"  said  May. 

"  Maybe,  but  it's  a  lot  of  trouble.  However,  I 
don't  grudge  the  poor  things  a  little  attention  when 
I  have  time  to  give  it,  though  they  do  soon  get  so 
tame  that  they  are  forever  under  foot." 

"  Suppose  you  take  the  children  over  into  the 
next  field,  mother,  and  let  'em  look  at  the  calves," 
Mr.  Snyder  suggested. 

May  hung  back.  "  Are  there  any  cows  there  ?  " 
she  asked,  timidly. 

"  Bless  you,  no,  and  if  there  were  they  woiddn't 
hurt  you.  The  cows  are  all  off  down  in  the  lower 
pasture  ;  they'll  not  come  up  till  milking-time." 


48  Mistress  May 

"  And  don't  the  calves  staj  witli  tlieir  mothers  ?  " 

"No,  not  now,  at  least  these  don't.  We  feed 
'em  and  let  'em  run  with  their  mothers  onlj  a 
little." 

"  Then  that's  why  they  cry  so."  May  looked 
at  the  pretty  sleek-skinned,  soft-eyed  creatures 
with  great  sympathy. 

Then  they  must  visit  the  poultry-yard  and  see 
the  fluffly  chicks  and  the  ducklings  and  the  cun- 
ning, peeping  turkeys.  It  was  really  a  great  day 
io  May  who  loved  all  these  things  so  dearly. 

She  drove  home  in  a  very  happy  frame  of  mind, 
loaded  down  with  the  various  gifts  Mrs.  Snyder 
had  bestowed :  a  pair  of  little  chicks  left  mother- 
less, a  tiny  tiuile  in  a  jar  of  water,  a  huge  bunch 
of  lilacs,  a  jar  of  honey  and  a  bos  of  doughnuts. 
Rock  laughed  as  he  handed  all  these  things  out, 
but  he  very  obligingly  helped  May  to  carry  in  her 
possessions,  and  with  beaming  face  she  sought 
her  mother. 

Jack  begged  so  hard  for  the  turtle,  to  which  he 
took  a  great  fancy,  that  May  let  liun  have  it,  while 
the  chickens  were  settled  in  an  old  box  for  the 
night.     "  I  hope  Buff  and  Biddy  won't  peck  at 


Her  Pets  49 

them,"  May  said  witli  concern  as  she  left  the  little 
things  softly  peeping  in  a  contented  way  under 
their  covering. 

"I  expected  you  would  bring  back  a  lamb," 
Jack  told  her. 

"  There  were  ever  so  many  there,  and  I  should 
love  dearly  to  have  one.  I  think  I  will  save  up 
my  money  and  buy  one,"  she  added,  suddenly  tak- 
ing the  resolve.  "  The  very  next  time  I  see  Mr. 
Snyder  I  will  ask  him  what  he  will  sell  one  for. 
He  is  going  to  bring  us  butter  and  eggs  every 
week,  you  know." 

True  to  her  intention  she  waylaid  Mr.  Snyder 
when  he  next  called. 

"What  do  I  ask  for  lambs?  That  depends. 
If  they  are  clipped  I  don't  get  as  much  as  if 
they  are  wooled.  What  do  you  want  to  know 
for  ?  "  he  asked,  busying  himself  in  counting  out 
eggs  from  a  big  basket.  "  What  would  you  want 
one  for  ?  " 

"  Why,  just  for  a  pet." 

"Thirty,  and  six  are  thirty-six.  Well,  let  me 
see,  I  get  anywhere  from  three  or  four  dollars  up 
to  as  high  as    seven,   maybe,   according   to  how 


50  Mistress  May- 

scarce  they  are  and  how  heavy  mine  are.  I  sup- 
pose about  five  dollars  just  now  is  what  they 
bring." 

"  Oh !  "  May's  face  fell.  She  was  not  allowed 
much  pocket  money  and  was  a  perfect  little  spend- 
thrift, so  it  would  be  a  long  time  before  she  could 
save  that  amount.  "I  am  afraid  the  lamb  would 
be  a  sheep  before  I  could  get  that  much,"  she  said, 
dolefully. 

Mr.  Snyder  laughed.  "That's  the  tune,  is  it? 
"Well,  now,  let's  see  what  I  can  do.  How  much 
could  you  pay,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"Why,  I  don't  know;  'bout  a  dollar."  This 
seemed  a  large  amount  to  May.  "But  I'd  have 
to  save  it  up.  How  many  weeks  would  it  take  to 
make  a  dollar  when  you  save  ten  cents  a  week  ?  " 

"'Cordin'  to  my  calculations  a  matter  of  ten 
weeks." 

"  Oh,  that's  a  long  time.  Do  lambs  grow  very 
much  in  ten  weeks  ?  " 

"Not  so  monstrous.  However,  I'll  see  Avhat 
can  be  done  and  let  you  know  next  week  when  I 
come  in.     Sure,  mamma  will  let  you  have  one  ?  " 

"Ye-es,  I  think  so." 


Her  Pets  51 

"  Better  go  ask  ter." 

May  hunted  up  her  motlier  and  made  her  in- 
quiry. "Why,  dear,  I  never  thought  of  it  seri- 
ously," Mrs.  Garland  said.  "  I'm  afraid  it  would 
be  a  troublesome  pet,  but  I  will  go  and  ask  Mr. 
Snyder  about  it." 

"Troublesome?"  he  repeated.  "That's  how 
you  look  at  it.  They'll  eat  anything  in  sight,  but 
they're  good  for  the  grass ;  keep  it  down  and  save 
you  a  lawn-mower,  but  if  they  get  into  your  gar- 
den, good-bye  to  the  shrubbery." 

"  Then " —  Mrs.  Garland  looked  down  at  May. 
The  little  pleading  face  was  too  much  for  her. 
"  Then  what  can  we  do  about  it  ?  " 

Mr.  Snyder  straightened  himself  up  from  his 
baskets  and  looked  around.  "  I  suppose  it  could 
run  with  your  cow  in  the  pasture-lot  there,  and 
when  the  little  girl  wanted  to  play  with  it  she 
could  bring  it  up  in  the  yard  and  watch  it  that  it 
did  no  mischief.  It  wouldn't  be  apt  to  do  much 
damage  for  some  time,  anyhow." 

"Very  well,  we  will  see.  You  haven't  concluded 
a  bargain,  as  I  understand,"  she  said,  smUing. 

"No,  ma'am,  not  yet."     Mr.  Snyder  smiled  too. 


52  Mistress  May 

"  Want  any  spring  cliickens  next  week,  Mrs.  Gar- 
land ?  I'll  liave  some  first-rate  fryers.  My  wife 
beats  tlie  Dutch,  for  raising  cliickens." 

"  You  may  bring  me  a  pair,  then,  Mr.  Snyder." 

He  was  already  prepared  to  start,  and  called 
out  as  lie  drove  off :  "  I'll  keep  that  there  matter 
in  mind,  little  gal."  And  he  did,  for  the  next 
week  after  he  had  finished  with  his  supplies  he 
asked :  "  Where's  the  little  gal  ?  I've  got  some- 
thing for  her." 

'•  She's  next  door  with  Eleanor,"  Jack  told  him. 

"Just  run  fetch  her,  sonny."  And  Jack  was 
very  ready  to  go. 

Eleanor  and  May  were  not  long  in  obeying  the 
summons.  "  Something  for  me,  Mr.  Snyder,"  said 
May  eagerly,  before  she  had  reached  him.  "  Oh, 
it  isn't  a  lamb,  is  it  ?  " 

"  Looks  mightily  like  it,"  Mr.  Snyder  told  her. 
He  dived  into  the  back  of  the  wagon  and  brought 
out  a  basket.  The  children  crowded  around  it, 
and  when  it  was  uncovered  a  little  weak-looking 
lamb  was  disclosed.  "The  crittur  wants  cod- 
dling," Mr.  Snyder  told  them,  "  and  my  wife's  got 
her  hands  full,  and  has  had  enough  of  this  kind 


Her  Pets  53 

of  thing  anyhow,  so,  if  you  can  raise  the  crittur 
yon  can  have  it  for  a  dollar,  and  if  it  dies  before 
it  gets  well  up,  why  you  needn't  pay  me  anything. 
I  reckon  it  will  come  easier  to  you  to  give  me  that 
ten  cents  a  week,  won't  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes.  Thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  Snyder. 
1  hope  it  will  live."  May's  expression  of  tender 
concern  was  something  to  see. 

"  And,"  continued  Mr.  Snyder,  "  when  it  gets  to 
be  a  big  sheep  and  you  get  tired  of  it  I  will  buy 
it  back  from  you  at  a  fair  price." 

"  Oh,  I  shall  never  want  to  paii;  with  it,"  May 
declared,  positively. 

Mr.  Snyder  winked  at  Jack.  "  All  right,  just 
mention  it  if  you  do.  It's  pretty  young  and  I 
reckon  you  will  have  to  raise  it  on  a  bottle." 

"  Like  a  baby  ?  How  lovely !  "  May  gathered 
the  small  creature  into  her  arms  and  bent  her  face 
down  over  it,  while  Eleanor  was  scarcely  less  in- 
terested. 

For  the  rest  of  the  day  May  devoted  herself  to 
the  lamb  and  forgot  so  entirely  that  she  was  mis- 
tress of  other  small  creatures,  that  it  was  bedtime 
before   she  remembered  that  Snap  had  not  been 


54  Mistress  May- 

seen  since  morning.  She  was  really  very  fond  of 
her  little  dog.  He  was  about  the  first  pet  that 
she  remembered  having,  and  had  been  given  her 
by  her  grandfather. 

"Oh,  mamma,"  she  sobbed,  when  she  discovered 
that  Snap  was  actually  gone,  "  won't  papa  go  and 
look  for  him?  Oh,  dear,  oh,  dear,  suppose  you 
had  a  new  child  and  neglected  me  so  I'd  get  lost, 
and  he  is  my  oldest  one  just  as  I  am  yours.  Oh, 
dear,  I  shall  cry  all  night."  She  did  not  cry  all 
night,  but  she  cried  herself  to  sleep  and  her  first 
thought  the  next  morning  was :  "  Where  is 
Snap  ?  " 

She  jumped  up  and  dressed  herseK  quietly, 
then  she  ran  down-stairs.  Martha,  the  cook,  was 
already  stirring,  and  to  May's  inquiry,  "  Has  any- 
thing been  seen  of  Snap  ?  "  she  shook  her  head. 

"  No,  child,  not  to  my  knowledge." 

May  opened  the  door  and  went  out  into  the 
fresh  spring  morning.  The  dew  lay  thickly  on 
the  grass  and  the  birds  were  caroling  gaily.  "  I 
wish  you  wouldn't  sing,"  said  May,  looking  up 
into  the  trees.  "  I  wish  you  would  cry.  I  want 
my  little  Snap.     I  want  Snap."     Pinky  came  rub- 


Her  Pets  55 

bing  up  against  lier  and  the  kitten  came  dancing 
from  tlie  porch  toward  her.  She  gave  each  a 
gentle  pat,  remembering  that  neither  one  had  re- 
ceived anj  attention  from  her  the  day  before. 
Buff,  strutting  about,  gave  a  sharp  little  crow,  and 
with  his  nimble  wife  came  running  for  crumbs. 
May  went  into  the  kitchen  for  scraps  and  threw 
them  some  bits.  Her  chicks  were  now  big  enough 
to  run  about  alone,  so  she  took  them  from  their 
place  in  a  comer  of  the  woodhouse  and  allowed 
them  to  share  with  the  others. 

She  looked  at  the  group  for  a  moment  and  then 
went  on,  calling  "  Snap  !  Snap  !  Here  Snap !  " 
But  there  was  no  joyous  bark  in  answer,  and  at 
each  step  she  grew  more  and  more  disheartened. 
She  remembered  all  his  cunning,  affectionate  ways. 
"  You  were  the  best  of  all,  Snap,  and  you  always 
loved  me  best"  The  tears  which  had  gathered  in 
her  eyes  were  now  rolling  down  her  cheeks.  She 
looked  the  stable  over,  went  into  all  the  outbuild- 
ings, but  met  with  no  success. 

"He  has  been  stolen;  that  is  what  has  hap- 
pened," May  told  herself.  "  Some  one  has  stolen  him 
and  they  have  taken  him  where  he  can't  get  away." 


56  Mistress  May 

She  ■wandered  on  and  on ;  down  in  tlie  liollow 
where  the  violets  w^ere  swarming  the  sunny  side 
of  the  hill ;  into  every  hole  and  corner  she  peeped, 
climbing  the  hUl  on  the  other  side.  Here  she 
stopped  and  leaned  over  the  fence  iiinning  along 
by  Mr.  Atkinson's  place.  "  Snap,  Snap,"  she 
called.  She  listened.  Was  it  possible  that  she 
heard  a  distant  yelp  followed  by  a  pitiful  whine  ? 
She  lost  no  time  in  climbing  the  fence.  This  was 
no  time  to  ask  j)ermission,  for  she  remembered, 
suddenly,  that  she  and  Eleanor  had  been  over  in 
Mr.  Atkinson's  grounds  the  day  before.  The 
family  were  away  in  Euroj^e  and  the  place  was  in 
charge  of  a  gardener.  She  could  hardly  run  fast 
enough  through  the  wet  grass  and  at  every  step 
or  two  she  called  "  Snap,  Snap,"  each  call  being 
answered  by  a  sharp  little  bark,  which  became 
more  and  more  distinct  the  further  she  went. 

At  last  the  sounds  were  located  in  an  outhouse 
where  the  gardener  kept  some  of  his  tools.  May 
tried  the  door  but  it  did  not  open.  She  must 
hunt  up  old  Abner  and  get  him  to  open  the  door. 
But  first  she  put  her  mouth  close  to  the  keyhole 
to  say :     "  Snap,  dear  Snap,  we  are  coming,  dar- 


Her  Pets  57 

ling  dog.  Don't  crj,  your  own  mitty  is  com- 
ing to  you."  Snap  gave  a  sudden  bark  of 
ecstasy  and  lapsed  into  silence.  "  He  under- 
stands, the  precious  dear,"  said  May,  as  she  ran 
off. 

Abner  was  at  liis  breakfast.  He  was  a  gruff 
old  fellow,  but  really  kind  at  heart,  and  he  very 
willingly  left  his  bacon  and  eggs  when  he  heard 
May's  story.  "  Wonder  I  didn't  hear  the  crittur," 
he  said,  "but  now  I  remember  I  w^ent  over  to 
Jenkin's  last  night  after  I  shut  up.  I  guess  the 
dog  followed  me  in.  I  recleck  now  he  has  always 
been  mighty  fond  of  gettin'  in  there  after  rats  or 
some  varmint,  I  suppose.  Come  along,  sissy. 
You'd  ought  to  look  out  better  for  him  when  you 
have  him  out." 

"  I  know  it,"  responded  May,  very  meekly. 

It  was  a  very  happy,  dirty,  hungry  little  dog 
that  gave  one  bound  as  the  door  was  opened.  He 
had  been  down  in  the  brook  before  he  followed 
Abner,  and  he  had  rolled  over  in  the  dirt  till  he 
was  a  sight  to  behold.  But  May  was  aware  of 
nothing  but  that  he  was  found,  and  while  he 
licked  her  face  and  hands  with  little  whines  of 


58  Mistress  May 

deliglit.  slie  kissed  and  hugged  liini  tdU  even  grim 
old  Abner  smiled. 

"You're  not  going  back  tkrougK  that  wet 
grass  ?  "  he  said,  as  May  started  oK 

"It  is  the  nearest  way,"  she  said. 

"  Well,  go  along,  then.  You're  a  sight  to  see  as 
it  is,  and  I  don't  reckon  you'll  look  much  wuss 
when  you  get  home,  but  I  advise  your  mother  to 
give  you  a  dose  of  medicine  and  put  you  to  bed, 
or  you'll  be  down  with  croup  or  pneumonj  or 
somethin'." 

May  did  not  argue  the  question,  but  only  said : 
"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Abner,  for  helping  me  to  get 
Snap." 

The  little  dog  was  welcomed  by  every  one,  for 
all  were  fond  of  him ;  but  alas,  for  himself  and  for 
May,  the  one  had  to  have  a  good  washing,  a  pro- 
cess which  he  did  not  enjoy,  and  the  other  was 
obliged  to  take  a  dose  of  a  certain  medicine  which 
she  found  hard  to  swallow^. 

"  "We'll  give  Snap  his  bath  in  his  own  old  tub," 
Jack  said.  "  I'll  haul  it  out  of  the  wood-shed,  I 
saw  it  in  there.     Come,  Snap." 

Snap  wagged  his  tail  and  followed  very  obedi- 


Her  Pets  59 

ently,  watching  Jack  witli  much,  interest  as  he 
went  into  the  wood-shed,  but  when  the  tub  ap- 
peared Snap's  tail  suddenly  dropped  and  he  slunk 
off  only  to  be  caught  and  brought  back  by  May. 
If  there  was  one  thing  above  another  that  Snap 
hated  it  was  his  tub.  This  was  a  discarded  one 
of  Rosalie's  and  had  been  given  over  to  Snap's 
use. 

"  You've  got  to  come,  Snap  ;  there's  no  use  try- 
ing to  get  out  of  it,"  May  said.  "  I  had  to  take 
my  medicine  and  now  it  is  your  turn.  I  feel  very 
sorry  for  you,  for  you  do  hate  it  so,  but  we'll  all 
come  and  keep  you  company,  so  you  won't  feel  as 
if  it  w^ere  really  a  punishment." 

The  three  childi-en  did  gather  around  him,  en- 
couragingly, calling  him  dear  little  dog,  and  nice 
Snap,  and  good  fellow  till  he  did  feel  as  if  this 
ordeal  were  less  dreadful  than  usual  Jack  zeal- 
ously scrubbed  him  while  May  and  Eosalie  looked 
on. 

"  He  doesn't  seem  to  mind  it  as  much  as  usual," 
May  remarked,  and  probably  a  night  in  the  tool- 
house  had  subdued  his  spirit,  for  he  stood  very 
meekly  and  whimpered  only  once  or  twice. 


6o  Mistress  May 

"  Never  mind,  Snap,  it  will  soon  be  over,"  May 
told  him.  "I'd  take  my  medicine  over  again  a 
dozen  times  if  it  was  for  the  sake  of  getting  you  back 
again,"  to  which  Snap  responded  by  a  little  whine 
of  appreciation,  but  it  must  be  said  that  though  he 
received  more  than  his  usual  share  of  attention 
upon  this  day,  at  last  he  became  disdainful  of 
it  and  trotted  off  in  search  of  new  experiences,  to 
the  detriment  of  his  clean  coat. 


HER  PLAYS 


CHAPTER  IV 
Her  Plays 

All  tlirougli  tlie  long  summer  days  May  and 
Eleanor  played  together,  Eleanor  was  accus- 
tomed to  the  presence  of  her  cousin  Florence  in 
summer  time,  but  this  year  Florence  had  made  her 
visit  early  and  had  gone  with  her  family  to  the 
seashore  for  the  season,  therefore,  but  for  her  neigh- 
bors, Eleanor  woiild  have  been  rather  lonely.  To 
be  sure  her  cousin  Eock  was  spending  the  early 
part  of  his  summer  at  her  house,  but  she  v/as  very 
glad  to  have  May  for  a  companion. 

"Eock  is  a  very  nice  boy,"  May  told  her 
mother,  "and  he  plays  with  us  without  all  the 
time  saying  :  '  Ah,  girls  don't  know.'  I  don't  like 
boys  that  do  that." 

Her  mother  laughed  and  said  boys  were  not  as 

polite  when  they  were  little  as  they  were  when 

they  grew  older.     "  That  is,  they  are  not  often  so," 

she  added. 

63 


64  Mistress  May- 

May  pondered  over  this  for  awhile,  and  then  she 
continued  the  conversation  by  saying :  "  Rock's 
father  has  such  a  funny  way  of  making  a  living ; 
he  breaks  cotton." 

"Why,  May,"  her  mother  said,  "what  do  you 
mean  ?  " 

"  He  does,  mamma,  Eleanor  told  me  so." 
Mrs.  Garland  looked  piizzled.     "  Do  you  mean 
he  has  mills  or  something  of  that  kind  ?  " 

May  shook  her  head.  "  I  don't  think  so, 
mamma,  Eleanor  said  he  had  an  office  in  the  city 
and  he  was  a  cotton-broker." 

Mrs.  Garland  laughed  heaiiily.  "A  cotton- 
broker  !  That  is  quite  another  thing.  I  can 
hardly  explain  to  you  Just  what  it  does  mean,  but 
it  is  one  who  buys  and  sells  cotton  for  other 
people." 

"  Oh,  I  thought  it  was  one  who  breaks  cotton. 
You  know  it  is  smoker,  one  who  smokes  ;  baker, 
one  who  bakes,  and  I  thought  it  was  broker,  one 
who  breaks.  Words  are  very  funny  things,  I 
think.  Before  Rock  goes  away,  mamma,  what  do 
you  suppose  Mr.  Atkinson  is  going  to  do  ?  " 
"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know.     What  is  it  ?  " 


Her  Plays  65 

"He  is  going  to  give  a  garden  party  at  his 
place  and  all  the  children  are  going  to  wear  some 
sort  of  fancy  dress,  like  flowers  and  outdoor 
things.  Eleanor  is  going  to  do  all  the  inviting. 
May  I  go  if  I  am  invited,  mamma  ?  " 

"  I  will  see  about  it." 

May  knew  that  was  almost  as  good  as  consent, 
and  she  went  off  satisfied.  She  and  Eleanor  were 
quite  excited  over  the  prospect  of  their  little  fete, 
and  when  it  was  known  that  Mr.  Atkinson  really 
intended  to  give  it,  they  could  talk  of  little  else, 
and  even  their  plays  must  have  something  to  do 
with  what  they  called  "  dressing  up,"  and  one 
afternoon,  when  Eleanor  proposed  that  they  should 
be  Revolutionary  characters  and  wear  caps,  May 
was  very  ready  to  Join  in.  Rock,  too,  when  he 
learned  of  their  intention,  wanted  to  be  Paul 
Revere  and  Jack  was  made  to  do  service  as  a 
minute-man.  It  was  very  exciting  when  Rock, 
mounted  on  Spice,  came  dashing  up  to  the 
door  of  the  playhouse,  and  giving  a  thunder- 
ing rap  cried  out :  "  The  Regulars  are  coming ! 
Arm  for  resistance ! "  And  then  Jack  sprang 
from   his    improvised   bed   and  was  given  sword 


66  Mistress  May 

and  powder  liorn,  the  latter  rather  useless  since 
he  had  no  gun,  and  was  ready  to  sallj  forth. 

"  Tou  must  bid  him  God  speed  and  say  :  '  Come 
back  with  your  shield  or  on  it,' — oh  no,  that  was 
the  Spartan  mother  or  wife  or  something  who  said 
that,"  Eleanor  told  May.  "  I  must  say  :  '  I  give 
you  to  your  country,  my  son ; '  I  am  his  mother 
you  know,  and  you  must  say :  '  Do  your  duty, 
John,  and  I  will  do  mine ; '  you  are  his  wife." 
And  Jack,  with  a  very  fierce  frown  and  prodigious 
stride,  marched  out. 

"  I  declare,"  said  May,  "  I  am  almost  scared  to 
death,  really  I  am,  Eleanor.  When  Kock  knocked 
at  the  door  it  was  so  real,  and  I  felt  as  if  I  must 
hide  from  the  Regulars.  I  think  it  is  perfectly 
splendid.     I  forget  what  Paul  Bevere  did  next." 

Eleanor  took  down  her  volume  of  Longfellow 
and  read : 

"  So  through  the  night  rode  Paul  Eevere, 
And  so  through  the  night  went  his  cry  of  alarm 
To  every  Middlesex  village  and  farm, — 

A  cry  of  defiance  and  not  of  fear, 
A  voice  in  the  darkness,  a  knock  at  the  door, 
And  a  word  that  shall  echo  forevermore." 

By  this  time  Eock  came  clattering  back  again. 


Her  Plays  ^'j 

"  They  are  fighting  at  Bunker's  Hill,  and  Charles- 
town  is  burning,"  he  said,  "  you  will  have  to  flee." 

"  Oh,  dear,"  said  Eleanor,  "  I  am  so  comfoi'table 
I  don't  want  to  flee.     Must  we  really,  Eock  ?  " 

"  Unless  you  want  to  be  burned  up.  Don't  you 
see  the  smoke  rising  yonder  ?  "  He  pointed  to  the 
chimney  of  the  Dallas's  kitchen  from  which  a 
slender  spiral  of  smoke  was  ascending. 

Eleanor  laughed.     "  Well,  I  think  I  will  stay." 

"  Pshaw,  Dimple,  you  haven't  any  imagination," 
said  Eock,  in  disgust. 

"  Oh,  well,  the  exciting  part  is  over  now.  You 
and  Jack  go  and  play  cowboys  or  Indians.  May 
and  I  will  find  something  else  to  do.  I  am  tu'ed 
of  battles  and  things." 

"  I  think  you  are  real  mean.  I  don't  see  why 
we  can't  all  play  together,"  protested  Eock. 

But  Eleanor,  in  rather  a  provoking  way,  began 
to  hum  a  little  tune,  and  Eock  walked  off.  "  I  get 
tired  of  boys  sometimes,  don't  you  ? "  she  asked 
May. 

"  Ye-es,  but  I  think  Eock  is  very  good  to  play 
with  Jack ;  he  is  such  a  little  fellow,  you  know, 
and  Eock  could  easily  find  a  bigger  boy.     Do  you 


68  Mistress  May- 

know?     I'll  tell  you  sometliing,  only  you   must 
never  tell  any  one." 

"  I  promise." 

"  It's  about  Jack.     He  lias  a  doll" 

«  Oil,  May." 

"Yes,  lie  has.  He  keeps  lier  in  Lis  pocket. 
Her  name  is  Tiny,  and  Jack  is  devoted  to  her. 
He  takes  her  out  and  looks  at  her  when  no  one  is 
looking." 

"  I'd  love  to  see  her.  I'm  going  to  ask  him  to 
show  her  to  me." 

"  Oh,  no,  please  don't ;  he'd  feel  awfully.  You 
see,  he's  sort  of  ashamed  of  her,  but  he  doesn't 
like  to  give  her  up." 

"  I  don't  care ;  he  needn't  be  ashamed.  I  am 
going  to  ask  him."  Eleanor  was  in  rather  a  con- 
trary mood  that  day.  "Jack,  Jack,"  she  called. 
"I  want  to  see  Tiny.     Show  her  to  me." 

The  color  flamed  up  into  the  little  fellow's  face, 
and  his  hand  went  to  his  pocket  while  he  cast  a 
reproa;chful  glance  at  his  sister. 

May  looked  quickly  at  Rock.  She  was  so  afraid 
he  would  laugh  at  her  little  brother,  and  Jack  was 
so    sensitive    about   ridicule.      But   Eock   had    a 


Her  Plays  69 

kindly  smile  on  her  face.  "  What  are  you  all  talk- 
ing about  ?  "  he  asked.  "  What  is  it  you  want  to 
see,  Dimple  ?  " 

"Something  Jack  carries  around  in  his  pocket," 
Eleanor  replied,  flippantly. 

Jack's  face  gxew  redder  and  redder,  and  he 
jerked  his  hand  from  his  pocket,  threw  the  little 
doll  on  the  ground  and  fled. 

Eock  stooped  and  picked  Tiny  up.  "'You 
oughtn't  to  have  done  that,  Dimple,"  he  said,  in  a 
low  voice.  The  doll  was  not  hurt  and  he  carried 
it  over  to  where  Jack  stood,  his  "back  to  them  all. 
•'  See  here,  old  fellow/'  began  Eock, — "  Why,  what's 
the  matter  ? "  for  the  tears  were  coursing  down 
Jack's  cheeks. 

"  I'm  afraid  I  broke  her  all  to  pieces,"  said  Jack, 
in  a  tremulous  voice. 

"  Oh,  no,  jou  didn't ;  here  she  is  as  good  as 
ever.  Isn't  she  a  cunning  little  thing?"  He 
slipped  the  doll  into  Jack's  hand.  "  Do  you  know 
T  used  to  have  two  dolls  when  I  was  a  little  chap. 
I  only  gave  them  up  a  couple  of  years  ago,  but  I 
have  them  yet,  and  I  take  them  out  every  now  and 
then  and  look  at  them." 


yo  Mistress  May 

The  tears  were  still  standing  on  Jack's  lashes, 
but  he  looked  up  at  Eock  gratefully.  If  this  big 
boy  had  played  with  dolls  and  wasn't  ashamed 
of  it  he  needn't  be.  Like  most  small  boys  he  ad- 
mired an  older  one,  such  as  Rock,  immensely,  and 
his  little  heart  warmed  all  the  more  toward  him  as 
Rock  went  on.  "  See  here,  let  us  go  off  and  play 
by  ourselves^  I  know  a  jolly  game  you'll  like. 
We'll  leave  the  girls  to  their  own  plays.  Eleanor 
is  in  rather  a  bad  humor  to-day." 

Jack  trotted  off  by  Hock's  side,  ready  to  follow  him 
to  the  end  of  the  world  in  the  gratitude  of  his  heart. 

May  felt  rather  uneasy,  but  did  not  say  any- 
thing to  Eleanor,  who  was  beginning  to  feel  quite 
ashamed  of  herself,  but  who  sat  on  her  little  table 
swinging  her  feet. 

"  I  guess  I  had  better  go  home,"  said  May,  after 
a  silence  which  did  not  seem  very  promising. 
"  Nora  is  out  and  I  shall  have  to  look  after  the 
baby  a  little." 

"  Bring  her  over  here  and  Bubbles  will  take  care 
of  her ;  she  will  love  to  do  it." 

"  Oh,  but  perhaps  she  has  something  else  to  do 
and  hasn't  the  time." 


Her  Plays  71 

"  Yes,  she  has.  She  always  has  the  time  free 
before  she  has  the  supper  table  to  set.  Bring  her 
over,  anyhow,  and  she  can  stay  here  with  us  and 
be  perfectly  safe.  I'll  go  ask  your  mother,  if  you 
don't  want."  Eleanor  was  anxious  to  make 
amends  for  her  behavior  to  Jack. 

"  Well,"  returned  May,  slowly. 

They  went  off  together  very  amicably  and  re- 
turned with  the  little  maid  between  them.  "  Rose 
Garland,  you  are  a  darling,"  Eleanor  said,  ecstat- 
ically. "  I'd  like  to  wear  you  on  a  hat,  you  are 
so  sweet." 

"No,  no,"  Rosalie  shook  her  head.  The  idea 
did  not  please  her. 

Eleanor  laughed  and  hugged  her.  "  Well,  I 
won't  then.  We  will  go  over  and  play  in  the  little 
house  and  you  shall  be  my  child.  Bubbles  is 
coming  to  play  with  you  in  a  minute.  Do  you 
like  Bubbles?" 

"  Bubble,"  responded  Rosalie,  contentedly.  She 
was  very  fond  of  Bubbles,  who  knew  just  how  to 
amuse  her,  and  with  the  little  colored  girl  in- 
stalled as  nurse  it  seemed  that  there  would  be  no 
more  trouble. 


72  Mistress  May 

But  tliej  were  hardly  settled  when  Bubbles 
looking  up  exclaimed :  "  I  'clar,  Miss  Dimple, 
hyar  come  dat  Oily  Miu'der." 

"  Who  ? "  May  was  quite  startled  by  this 
dreadful  name. 

*'  She  means  my  cousin,  Olive  Murdoch.  She's 
not  a  very  near  cousin,  but  I  wish  she  wasn't  any 
relation  at  alL  Let's  keep  very  still  and  I'll  lock 
the  door  so  she  won't  know  we  are  in  here." 

They  crouched  giggling  in  one  comer,  having 
shut  both  door  and  windows.  Presently  rat-a-tat 
came  Olive's  knock  at  the  door.  The  children 
pressed  their  hands  against  their  lips  to  keep 
in  their  laughter.  "She'll  go  directly,"  Eleanor 
whispered. 

But  Olive  was  persistent.  "  I  know  you  are  in 
there,  Eleanor.  Your  mother  told  me  I  should 
j&nd  you  here,  and  the  boys  said  so,  too." 

"  "We'll  have  to  let  her  in,"  May  whispered,  but 
Eleanor  held  her  back  as  she  attempted  to  get  up. 
"  No,  no,  don't.  She  just  says  that."  But  here  a 
little  mouse,  attracted  to  the  playhouse  by  the  crumbs 
frequently  to  be  found  there,  ran  across  the  floor 
and  Rosalie  gave  a  squeal  which  betrayed  them. 


Her  Plays  73 

"  I  heard  you,"  said  Olive.     "  Let  me  in." 

"Bubbles,  go  and  let  lier  in,"  said  Eleanor,  re- 
signedly, an  order  wbicli  Bubbles  obeyed  reluc- 
tantly, for  there  was  no  love  lost  between  her  and 
Olive. 

"Why  didn't  you  let  me  in  sooner?"  Olive 
asked,  as  she  entered. 

"We  were  playing,"  Eleanor  replied,  rather 
lamely. 

"  Didn't  you  hear  me  knock  ?  " 

"Ye-es,  but" 

"  I  think  you  are  very  impolite.  I've  come  up 
to  take  tea  with  you."  This  was  said  in  a  very 
condescending  manner  as  if  it  were  a  great  favor. 

"Oh,  have  you?"  Eleanor  looked  at  May. 

"I'm  going  home,"  said  May,  not  liking  this 
visitor  at  all.     "  Come  Bosy-Posy." 

"  Oh,  don't  go  on  my  account,"  said  Olive, 
tartly.  "  I  suppose  this  is  your  neighbor, 
Eleanor,  though  you  haven't  taken  the  trouble  to 
introduce  me." 

"It  is  May  Garland,"  Eleanor  told  her. 
"  Don't  go.  May,  I  want  you  to  stay." 

i'And  don't  want  me,  I  suppose,"  OlivG  went 


74  Mistress  May 

on.  "  I'm  going  to  staj  anyway.  Mamma  said  1 
was  to.  She  has  gone  ont  with  Jessie  and  Alma 
and  said  Don  and  I  were  to  come  here." 

"  Don  ?     Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  He  has  gone  to  find  Kock." 

"  Then  Jack  must  come  home,"  said  May,  and 
with  Rosalie  she  went  out  to  gather  up  Jack  and 
to  return  home,  leaving  Eleanor  by  no  means 
pleased  with  the  turn  of  affairs. 

Jack  was  quite  ready  to  go  with  his  sister.  He 
had  had  some  experience  with  Don  before  this, 
and  although  Kock  would  not  have  permitted  any 
trouble,  Don  was  inclined  to  bully  and  Jack  had 
no  idea  of  standing  that.  So  he  ran  off  at  May's 
call,  and  the  fence  was  soon  between  the  Garland 
children  and  Eleanor  and  her  company. 

May's  various  pets  came  to  meet  her.  Snap 
was  not  on  very  good  terms  with  Eleanor's  cat, 
Nixy,  and  was  not  peiinitted  to  go  with  his  mis- 
tress when  she  'vdsited  her  neighbor.  The  lamb 
was  growing  apace  and  was  ready  to  follow  May 
all  about.  She  was  named  Suzette,  and  she  and 
Snap  had  struck  up  a  queer  friendship. 

Mrs,  Garland  was  ready  to  take  Rosalie,  and 


Her  Plays  'js 

May  proposed  to  Jack  that  tliey  slionld  go  to  the 
hollow  to  play.  They  were  interested  in  a  tiny 
mysterious  grotto  which  they  were  making  here. 
They  had  adorned  it  with  ferns  and  various 
lichens  and  mosses.  In  the  centre  they  had 
placed  a  bit  of  looking-glass  to  represent  a 
miniature  lake  and  had  paved  the  floor  with  the 
prettiest  pebbles  they  could  find.  The  finishing 
touch  was  the  setting  up  of  some  odd  little  pieces 
of  china  furniture  which  some  one  had  given  May. 
Two  wee  china  dolls  reigned  over  the  grotto,  and 
the  two  children  considered  it  a  very  fascinating 
secret,  for  not  even  Eleanor  knew  of  it.  It  was 
hidden  from  sight  by  a  large  stone,  which  was 
rolled  up  against  the  entrance  whenever  the 
children  left  it. 

With  the  lamb  and  Snap  in  company  they  set 
off  for  the  hollow,  but  had  hardly  started  in  with 
their  play  when  they  heard  a  voice  call :  "  See 
here.  Rock,  did  you  ever  know  such  a  girl-boy, 
playing  with  dolls  ?  " 

May  started  to  her  feet.  There  stood  Don 
Murdoch  pointing  a  jeering  finger  at  Jack,  yet 
with  curiosity  examining  the  little  cave. 


^(i  Mistress  May 

"You've  no  business  in  liere,"  said  May,  iier 
cheeks  very  red.  "  What  did  jou  come  for  ?  This 
isn't  your  place  and  you  have  no  right  to  come  in 
without  being  asked." 

"Well,  I  reckon  I  have.  It  belongs  to  my 
cousins." 

"  No,  it  doesn't,  at  least  my  father  rents  it  with 
the  rest  of  the  place  and  you  have  no  more  right 
here  than  you  have  in  any  one's  house,  has  he, 
llock?  You  shan't  come  in.  I'll  have  you 
arrested.     The  sign  says  :     '  No  trespassing,'  " 

"  Yah  !  yah  !  yah  !  Ain't  you  in  a  fine  temper  ? 
I'll  come  if  I  choose." 

"  No,  you  won't,"  said  Rock.  "  Come  right 
back,  Don.  I  didn't  know  you  and  Jack  were 
here,  May.  We  thought  we  would  take  the  short 
cut." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mind  you,  Rock ;  you  know  that, 
for  you  never  meddle  and  don't  say  hateful  things, 
but  we  did  so  want  to  keep  this  from  every  one. 
It  was  such  a  nice  secret." 

"  I'm  soiTy,"  Rock  returned.  "  It  is  too  bad. 
I  won't  tell,  and  say,  Don,  don't  you  do  it  either." 

But  Don  said  nothing,  and  May  was  not  at  all 


Her  Plays  ']'] 

sure  but  that  he  would.  At  all  events  their  fun 
was  spoiled  and  they  regretfully  left  the  place 
and  went  down  to  the  brook  to  gather  more  stones 
for  their  pavemeiit 


HER  BROTHER 


CHAPTER  V 
Her  Brother 

The  next  day  that  May  and  Jack  went  to  tlie 
lioUow,  true  enough,  the  stone  had  been  removed 
from  the  entrance  to  the  grotto,  the  glass  was 
smashed,  the  pieces  of  furniture  scattered  about, 
the  stones  thrown  in  every  direction  and  the  dolls 
strung  up  by  their  necks  to  a  branch.  "  It's  that 
wicked  Don,"  cried  May,  almost  in  tears.  "  I  can't 
bear  that  boy,  and  I  don't  see  why  E,ock  lets  him 
tag  after  him.  I  don't  know  what  we  will  do  when 
Kock  goes  away.  There  is  nothing  to  do  now, 
Jack,  but  to  find  another  place  and  build  another 
grotto,  but  I  don't  believe  we  shall  ever  find  all  our 
pretty  stones  again."  And  indeed,  they  did  not 
find  them  all,  though  they  did  manage  to  rebuild 
their  grotto  in  another  place  and  to  keep  it  a  secret 
for  quite  a  long  time.  In  fact  it  was  not  till  Fourth 
of  July  that  it  was  discovered  and  then  it  came 
about  in  this  way. 

•1 


82  Mistress  May 

Jack  had  always  longed  to  fire  off  a  pistol  or  a 
rifle,  but  his  parents  thought  him  far  too  young  to 
be  allowed  to  use  firearms,  and  had  never  -per- 
mitted  it.  Jack,  himself,  was  persuaded  that  it 
was  because  they  had  always  lived  in  the  city 
where  it  would  be  dangerous.  In  this  place  where 
the  houses  were  far  apart,  with  grounds  between, 
he  could  not  see  why  it  should  not  be  perfectly 
safe.  He  thought  about  it  so  much  that  as  Fourth 
of  July  approached  he  conti'ived  a  plan  which  he 
proceeded  to  carry  out. 

The  gardner,  a  good-natured  Irishman,  was  very 
fond  of  Jack,  and  to  him  the  little  boy  first  made 
his  wish  known.  "Patrick,"  he  said,  "won't  you 
lend  me  your  pistol  to  fire  off  early  Foui-th  of 
July  ?  I'll  go  'way  off  and  shoot  it  right  up  into 
the  sky  so  it  can't  hit  anyone." 

"Except  yersel',  beloike,"  returned  Patrick. 

"No,  I  won't.  If  you  only  knew,  Patrick,  how 
I  do  want  to  do  it,  you'd  lend  it  to  me  just  this  once." 

"  What'U  the  mother  say  if  you  come  home  kilt 
entoirely  ?  " 

"  I  won't  come  home  that  way.  I  won't  indeed, 
Patrick.' 


Her  Brother  83 

"I'll  not  lind  it  to  yez." 

"  Please." 

*'  No,  sorr,  I'll  noi  I'll  be  losin'  me  job,  an'  yez'U 
be  losin'  an  arrum  or  a  leg  or  tlie  top  av  yer  head." 

"  Then,  please,  Just  let  me  look  at  it,  Patrick." 

Patrick  led  the  way  to  the  stable  and  produced 
an  old  pistol.  He  had  often  explained  its  work- 
ings to  Jack  and  the  little  fellow  knew  every  part 
of  it.  He  begged  to  be  allowed  to  hold  it,  and 
Patrick  so  far  consented  as  to  let  him  take  it  in 
his  hands,  watching  him  very  carefully.  Jack 
sighed  deeply  as  Patrick  put  the  pistol  back  in  its 
place,  but  his  mind  was  made  up.  He  must  get 
that  pistol  for  the  Fourth,  or  life  would  not  be 
worth  living. 

He  was  out  of  bed  bright  and  early  on  that 
holiday.  All  around  firecrackers  were  j)opping. 
The  boys  in  the  town  were  having  a  good  time. 
Once  in  a  while  came  a  louder  report,  and  Jack 
decided  that  he  must  lose  no  time  in  adding  to  the 
noise.  Patrick  was  driving  the  cow  to  pasture, 
and  Jack  with  his  heart  beating  fast,  crept  into  the 
stable,  precured  the  pistol,  and  holding  it  very 
gingerly,  made  off  at  a  rapid  rate. 


84  Mistress  May- 

He  trotted  along  till  lie  was  well  out  of  siglit  of 
the  liouse,  and  liad  readied  a  little  bridge  whicli 
spanned  a  stream  into  whicli  flowed  the  brook  in 
the  hollow. 

Having  reached  this  place  the  small  boy  looked 
around.  No  one  was  in  sight.  A  fence  this  side, 
a  field  that,  the  creek  between.  Once,  twice,  he 
raised  his  pistol,  his  heart  beating  fast.  "Where 
was  his  courage  ?  "  Hurrah  for  Fourth  of  Jidy !  " 
he  piped  up,  in  rather  a  shaky  voice,  it  must  be 
admitted,  but  the  sound  of  it  gave  him  the  courage 
he  needed,  and  he  raised  the  j)istol  a  third  time, 
cocked  it,  pulled  back  the  trigger  and  the  hammer 
fell. 

"  Bang ! "  Jack  staggered.  "What  had  hit  him  ? 
He  wasn't  quite  sure  what  had  happened,  but  he 
heard  a  crash  of  glass  and  a  cry  of  "  Mujder ! 
Murder ! "  He  ran  to  the  fence  and  peeped  through 
a  knot-hole.  There  were  houses  below  there  along 
a  hillside.  He  had  not  dreamed  of  such  a  thing. 
A  woman  was  screaming.  Men  were  running  in 
every  direction. 

The  child  was  paralyzed  with  fright.  He  had 
killed  some  one.     They  were  running  after  him. 


Her  Brother  85 

For  a  minute  lio  stood,  pistol  in  hand,  and  then  lie 
ran  with  all  his  might  toward  the  hollow,  rolled 
the  stone  from  the  entrance  of  the  grotto,  laid  the 
pistol  inside,  and  with  shaking  hand,  replaced  the 
stone.,  Then  he  crept  into  the  garden.  He  knew 
that  Patrick  would  be  away  all  day  on  some  jolli- 
fication, and  that  here  was  a  safe  place  of  hiding 
between  the  rows  of  tall  corn  and  beans.  He 
crouched  down  under  the  rustling  blades  and  lis- 
tened fearfully,  each  minute  expecting  that  some 
one  would  pounce  down  upon  him.  Every  vehicle 
that  rattled  by ;  every  shout  struck  terror  to  his 
souL  Would  they  miss  him  at  home  ?  Would 
they  let  the  officers  come  to  arrest  him  ?  Had  any 
one  seen  him?  Oh,  how  dreadfully  his  mother 
and  May  would  feel  to  see  him  dragged  off.  The 
tears  ran  down  his  cheeks  at  the  thought. 

The  hours  wore  on.  He  was  very  hungry,  for 
he  had  had  no  breakfast,  but  he  did  not  dare  to 
show  himself.  He  heard  Rosalie's  merry  voice, 
and  May  laughing  blithely.  He  heard  Bubbles 
singing  cheerily  over  in  the  Dallas's  garden,  and, 
after  a  time  he  heard  Rock  calling  him,  but  he  did 
not  stir. 


S6  Mistress  May 

"  Jack,  Jack,"  came  the  call,  nearer  aud  nearer. 
Bock  was  hunting  for  him  in  the  hollow.  Sup- 
pose he  knew  ;  or  Don  ;  he  was  a  much  worse  boy 
that  Don,  he  considered,  and  the  tears  l>egan  to 
fall  faster  and  faster  as  he  lay  there  hidden  bj  the 
whispering,  rustling  corn.  He  remembered  the 
story  of  King  Midas  and  how  the  reeds  said, 
*'  King  Midas  has  asses'  ears."  To  him  the  corn 
whispered,  "John  Garland  has  shot  some  one. 
Here  he  is  :  Jack  Garland." 

All  day  long  he  cowered  in  his  hiding  place. 
During  the  afternoon  he  fell  asleep,  being  worn 
out  with  fear  and  misery,  and  when  he  woke  up  it 
was  evening,  and  being  then  overdone  with  hunger, 
he  cautiously  crejjt  out  and  by  a  roundabout  way 
reached  the  house.  The  family  were  at  supper. 
How  good  the  fried  chicken  and  biscuits  smelled. 
It  seemed  to  Jack  that  he  could  eat  anything  that 
was  set  before  him.  He  sidled  into  the  room  and 
up  to  the  table.  No  one  seemed  surprised  to  see 
him.  It  was  to  be  expected  that  upon  the  Fourth 
of  July  a  boy  would  stay  away  from  home  all  day  ; 
moreover,  Rock  had  gone  to  Mr.  Snyder's  for  the  day 
and  every  one  supposed  that  Jack  had  gone  with  him. 


Her  Brother  87 

"  I  suppose  there  will  be  tlie  usual  list  of  acci- 
dents," said  Mrs.  Garland,  as  lier  husband  un- 
folded the  evening  paper. 

Jack  nearly  jumped  from  his  chau-.  They 
hadn't  heard !  He  waited  in  a  perfect  panic  to 
hear  more,  yet  his  appetite  was  not  satisfied  and  he 
helped  himself  to  another  biscuit. 

"  I  believe  Jack  could  eat  a  whole  chicken,"  said 
May.  "  Didn't  they  give  you  any  dinner  at  Mr, 
Snyder's?" 

"Mr.  Snyder's?" 

"Tes,  haven't  you  been  there  all  day  with 
Eock?" 

"No." 

"  Where  were  you,  then  ?  " 

Ja<ik  hesitated.     "  Oh,  just  around." 

"I  suppose  you  fired  off  all  your  firecrackers 
before  breakfast,"  Mr.  Garland  remarked.  "You 
were  up  bright  and  early.  I  remember  myself 
how  it  was  when  I  was  a  youngster,  I  could 
scarcely  wait  for  daylight  on  the  Fourth." 

This  required  no  special  reply,  and  Jack  went 
on  eating. 

"I  don't  believe  the  child  thought  of  getting 


88  Mistress  May 

any  dinner,"  Mrs.  Garland  said ;  ^'  that's  er.  ■ 
tliusiasm  for  you ;  I  can't  imagine  anytliing  tliat 
would  usually  compensate  for  fchat.  The  cry 
usually  is  :  Mamma,  when  will  dinner  be  ready  ? 
But  to-day  1  have  not  even  been  asked  for  a 
cracker." 

Just  then  some  one  called  for  ]\Ii\  Garland,  who 
arose  and  went  out  on  the  porch.  Jack  shook  in 
his  shoes.  At  last  he  was  tracked.  He  di'opped 
his  chicken-bone  and  sat  quaking  with  fear. 

"  Who  was  it  ?  "  Mrs.  Garland  asked,  when  her 
husband  returned. 

"  Only  a  man  to  see  me  on  a  little  matter  of 
business ;  something  about  the  railroad."  He 
took  up  his  paper  again.  "Listen  to  this,"  he 
said  :  " '  This  morning  about  six  o'clock  there  was 
quite  a  scare  in  the  family  of  Edward  McCarty  on 
Hill  street.  Some  enthusiastic  patriot  in  cele- 
brating Foui-th  of  July,  fired  off  a  pistol  rather 
recklessly  and  wildly  and  the  shot  stiiick  a  win- 
dow in  McCarty' s  house,  doing  no  greater  dam- 
age than  to  shatter  a  pane  of  glass  and  thoroughly 
frighten  the  family  who  were  at  breakfast.  Mrs. 
McCarty  rushed    into  the  street  crying  murder! 


Her  Brother  89 

and  for  a  few  minutes  tliere  was  great  excitement. 
No  clue  to  tJie  individual  practising  this  cowboy 
method  of  shooting  could  be  obtained/  " 

Jack  listened  with,  wide-opened  ejes,  his  face 
getting  redder  and  redder.  At  the  end  of  the 
reading  his  relief  was  so  intense  that  he  left  the 
room  and  ran  out  on  the  porch. 

"  Jack  acts  queerlj/'  said  his  mother.  '^  I  won- 
der if  the  child  is  not  feeling  well." 

"  Oh,  he  has  had  too  much  excitement,  probably/' 
his  father  answered.  "  He'll  be  all  right  to-mor- 
row. I  suppose  he  has  gone  out  to  look  at  the 
rockets ;  it  takes  a  stupendous  amount  of  fire- 
works to  satisfy  a  boy  of  his  age=" 

"  Oh,  I  must  tell  him,"  May  cried ;  "  v/e  are  all 
going  to  Mr.  Atkinson's  to  see  him  send  off  his 
fireworks.  Eleanor  says  he  has  some  beauties, 
and  she  wants  Jack  and  me  to  go  with  her  and 
Bock.     I  must  tell  hitn." 

Jack  was  very  quiet  all  the  evening,  and  even 
the  rockets  and  Roman  candles  and  pinwheels  and 
hissing  serpents  did  not  rouse  him  to  his  usual 
eager  excitement.  He  was  greatly  relieved  that 
no  harm  had  come  of  his  morning's  performance, 


go  Mistress  May 

but    ho    still    felt   an   uneasy   pricking   of    con- 
sciencec 

"  What's  the  matter,  Jack  ? "  Rock  askedo 
"  Tired  out  ?  Did  jou  liave  a  good  time  to-day  ? 
You  ouglit  to  liave  been  with  me.  I  lookod  every- 
where for  you  and  couldn't  find  you.  I  took  Spice 
and  went  oif  to  Mr.  Snyder's,  and  we  had  a  lot  of 
fun  out  there.  Mr.  Snyder  and  Lem  and  I  fired 
at  a  target  and  I  hit  the  bull's  eye  twice.  You 
ought  to  have  been  there.  I  don't  doubt  but  that 
Mr.  Snyder  would  have  let  you  take  a  hand.  Then 
we  had  a  lot  of  firecrackers  that  I  took  out  with 
me,  and  we  fired  them  off  under  a  barrel;  you 
ought  just  to  have  heard  the  noise ;  I  tell  you  it 
was  great,  and  the  fun  of  it  was  that  we  could 
make  all  the  noise  we  wanted  to  and  nobody  cared, 
for  we  were  so  far  off  in  the  country  that  it  didn't 
make  any  difference.  Then  we  went  out  on  the 
river  and  had  a  good  time  rowing.  We  went  way 
up  to  the  island  and  took  supper^  Mrs.  Snyder 
went  with  us  and  we  made  coffee  and  had 
no  end  of  a  good  time.  Lem  caught  a 
whopping  big  fish.  You  ought  Just  to  have 
seen   it,  and  we  had  it  for  supper,  because  Mr. 


Her  Brother  91 

Snyder  said  we  ought  to,  as  long  as  it  was  Fourth 
of  July." 

Then,  as  if  Jack's  regrets  at  having  lost  all  this 
fun  were  not  enough,  May  told  him  on  the  way 
home  :  "  Jack,  you  missed  it  by  not  being  home 
to  dinner ;  we  had  ice-cream.  Mamma  tried  to 
save  you  some,  but  it  all  melted  and  so  she  said 
there  was  no  use  trying  to  keep  it.  I  don't  see 
how  you  could  play  all  day  long  and  not  want  the 
good  things  everybody  has  on  the  Fourth  of  July." 

So  poor  Jack  went  to  bed  that  night  feeling  that 
if  ever  a  naughty  boy  was  punished  by  bringing 
upon  himself  all  this,  he  was  the  boy.  He  had 
missed  so  much  and  all  for  one-half  minute's  hav- 
ing his  own  way. 

He  was  up  early  the  nest  morning,  meaning  to 
get  the  pistol  and  replace  it  before  it  was  missed. 
He  was  on  his  way  to  the  hollow  when  Patrick 
waylaid  him.     "  Perdooce  thim  foirearms,"  said  Pat. 

Jack  looked  up  at  Patrick's  stern  countenance, 
and  then  down  at  his  feet. 

"  Ye  little  spalpeen,  yez'U  be  afther  helpin'  yer- 
sel'  to  it,  I  know.  Get  it  at  wanst,  er  I'll  till  yer 
father." 


92  Mistress  May 

«  Oh,  Pati-ick." 

"  I'll  do  that  same." 

"  I'll  get  it,  but  please  don't  come." 

"Ye'll  get  it  nothin'  imlest  I'm  there.  I'll  not 
thrust  jez  wid  th'  handlin'  av  it  at  all.  Ye'll  show 
me  where  it  is  or  I'll  know  the  raison  whoj." 

Jack  looked  up  with  pitiful  enti'eaty.  "  Please 
don't  tell,  Patrick.     I  did  take  it." 

"  Av  coorse,  I  said  it.  It's  not  in  the  nature  av 
a  foirearm  to  go  thraipsin'  off  by  its  lone  to  kape 
Fourth  of  Jooly.     Come  on,  now," 

Jack  trotted  along  by  the  man's  side.  Patrick 
was  always  very  good  to  him,  and  Jack  was  sure 
he  would  not  tell.  So  he  led  him  to  the  gTotto  in 
the  hollow  and  pointed  out  the  hiding-place. 

A  smile  flickered  around  Patrick's  mouth,  but 
he  still  frowned.  He  seated  himself  upon  a  big 
stone  and  held  Jack  between  his  knees.  "Now, 
then,"  he  said,  raising  a  warning  finger,  "  make  a 
clean  breast  av  it.  'Twas  yersel',  I  don't  misdoubt, 
that  was  upsettin'  Mrs.  McCarty  at  breakfast,  me 
sister-in-law,  she  is,  an'  she  tells  me  av  the  bullet 
that  came  from  nowhere  an'  that  scaii-t  the  loife 
out  av  her,  an'  I  says  nothin',  but  I  kapes  up  a 


Her  Brother  93 

dale  of  tliinkin'  wliin  I  foind  me  pistol  gone,  an' 
says  I  to  meself,  there'll  be  but  wan  blioy  wlio  do 
be  takin'  tliat,  an'  I  can  name  liim  with  me  eyes 
shut." 

Jack  faltered  out  liis  story,  and  Patrick,  half 
smiling,  half  frowning,  listened,  while  he  told  it 
with  many  pauses  and  some  stumbling. 

*'  Ye  were  well  punished,  I'm  thinkin',  and  it's 
a  mercy  that  ye  hit  nobody.  'Twas  more  by  good 
luck  than  by  good  management  that  come  about. 
Now,  me  lad,  I'd  advise  ye  to  tell  yer  father  an' 
give  him  the  whole  av  it.  I  think  whin  he  knows 
what  a  plisint  Fourth  av  Jooly  ye  spint,  that  he'll 
tiot  begrudge  ye  the  use  av  the  pistol  for  the  wan 
shot,  seein'  as  it  did  no  more  harm.  Te'll  feel 
betther  afther.  It's  good  advice  I'm  givin'  ye,  me 
lad." 

He  took  Jack's  cold  hand  in  his  and  they  went 
back  to  the  stable.  "  There's  yer  father  on  the 
porch  now,"  said  Patrick,  "  run  in  and  tell  him  an' 
ye'U  eat  a  betther  breakfast  for  it." 

Jack  proceeded  slowly  up  the  walk ;  it  was  a 
bitter  moment,  but  he  stood  by  his  guns,  and  told 
a  plain  unvarnished  tale. 


94  Mistress  May 

"It  wasn't  right,  son,"  liis  father  told  him,  when 
he  had  finished  ;  "  it  was  a  direct  act  of  disobedi- 
ence, bnt  I  think  you  have  had  your  lesson.  Sup- 
pose you  had  really  hurt  any  one,  think  what  a 
hea^^  burden  you  would  have  had  to  carry  the 
rest  of  your  life." 

"  I  know,"  said  Jack,  very  meekly,  "  I  never 
was  so  miserable  in  all  my  life,  papa.  I  didn't 
know  any  one  could  be  so  miserable  on  the  Fourth 
of  July." 

"  You  see  your  act  brought  its  own  punishment 
this  time,  so  we  will  let  it  go  at  that,  for  I  am 
quite  sure  that  Patrick's  pistol  is  safe  so  far  as 
you  are  concerned." 

"  You  bet  it  is,"  replied  Jack,  so  decidedly,  that 
his  father  smiled,  and  they  went  in  to  breakfast 
together,  a  great  weight  lifted  from  Jack's  heart. 

Still  he  could  never  bear  to  see  the  grotto  after 
that,  and  though  May  did  not  know  why  he  was 
tired  of  it,  she  soon  found  out  that  he  never 
wanted  to  play  there  anymore,  so  she  confided  the 
secret  of  its  place  to  Eleanor,  and  then  Bubbles 
came  upon  them  there  one  day,  so  after  that  it  was 
simply  one  of  many  amusements. 


I 

I 


Her  Brother  95 

Mr.  Garland  and  Patrick  kept  Jack's  secret,  a 
fact  for  which  lie  was  very  grateful,  and  after  this 
he  was  much  less  ready  to  think  Don  a  very  bad 
boy,  for  there  was  something  in  his  father's  look 
when  he  called  Don  a  sneak  and  a  mischievous 
thing,  that  made  him  remember  that  he  was  by  no 
means  perfect  himsel£ 


« 


HER  NAUGHTINESS 


CHAPTER  VI 
Her  Naughtiness 

No  one  expects  cliildren  to  be  perfect,  and  if 
Jack  had  his  faults,  so  did  May  have  hers.  Though 
she  was  generally  an  obedient  and  conscientious 
little  girl,  it  was  very  hard  for  her  to  deny  herself 
anything  she  wanted  very  much,  and  since  the 
purchase  of  her  lamb  meant  that  she  must  put  by 
all  her  spending  money  for  ten  long  weeks,  it 
made  a  season  of  self-denial  a  very  long  one  to 
her.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garland  did  not  believe  in 
giving  their  children  much  spending  money,  for 
they  were  supplied  with  all  that  they  needed  in 
their  comfortable  home,  and  a  tendency  to  buy 
luxuries,  they  believed,  would  lead  them  to  be 
thriftless  and  extravagant.  The  lamb  was  thriving 
finely,  and  May  had  grown  so  fond  of  it  that  she 
thought  it  was  worth  much  more  than  the  dollar 
which  Mr.  Snyder  asked  for  it. 

"  I  think  it  is  an  excellent  thing  that  May  must 

99 


loo  Mistress  May 

save  her  money  to  pay  for  her  lamb,"  Mrs.  Garland 
said  to  her  husband,  "  for  she  is  inclined  to  spend 
her  pocket-money  the  moment  she  gets  it,  and  I 
think  this  discipline  is  good  for  her." 

But  May  had  many  temptations,  and  if  she  had 
not  been  ashamed  to  do  it,  she  would  have  asked 
Mr.  Snyder  to  wait  for  his  money.  But  her 
mother  saw  to  it  that  she  received  her  ten  cents 
on  the  very  day  that  Mr.  Snyder  appeared,  and  so 
she  could  have  no  excuse. 

One  day,  however,  she  had  gone  to  a  little  shop 
down  town,  where  the  children  were  accustomed  to 
spend  their  pennies,  and  which  was  kept  by  an 
old  woman  named  Mrs.  Wills.  It  was  quite  a 
curious  old  place,  full  of  all  sorts  of  things  attrac- 
tive to  children.  There  was  one  especial  kind  of 
candy  which  May  liked  above  everything  else,  and 
upon  this  day  she  stood  looking  with  longing  eyes 
at  a  jar  of  it  freshly  filled.  If  she  only  had  her 
ten  cents,  or  even  half  of  it,  she  could  gratify  her 
desire  for  this  delicious  dainty.  While  IVIrs.  Wills 
was  counting  out  the  buttons  May  had  been  sent 
for,  the  little  girl  stood  with  eyes  fixed  on  the  jar. 
Each  minute  it  seemed  more  and  more  as  if  she 


Her  Naughtiness  loi 

must  have  one  of  those  thick  nutty  sticks.  It 
would  be  only  five  cents.  Her  mother  would  lend 
her  that  much,  maybe.  But  then  she  remembered 
that  her  mother  would  not  do  that,  for  she  con- 
sented to  a  loan  only  when  it  was  something  very  im- 
portant for  which  May  wanted  to  spend  her  money. 
So  she  drew  a  long  sigh  and  put  away  that  thought. 

Suddenly  came  a  temptation :  she  would  get  it 
and  ask  Mrs.  Wills  to  charge  it.  She  would  pay 
for  it  the  first  week  after  the  lamb  was  paid  for ;  -^ 
that  would  be  five  weeks  from  now.  So  she  said 
very  timidly,  "  Please  give  me  a  stick  of  the  nut- 
candy,  Mrs.  Wills.  I  haven't  any  money  to-day, 
but  I  will  pay  you  the  next  time  that  I  come  in." 

Mrs.  Wills  smilingly  took  down  the  jar  and 
drew  forth  a  thick  stick  of  the  nutty  sweetness, 
which  she  wrapped  up  and  gave  to  May  with  her 
parcel  of  buttons.  "  Let  me  see,"  she  said,  "  what 
is  your  name?  I  forget  a  good  deal,  and  there 
are  so  many  little  girls,  you  know." 

"My  name  is  May  Garland." 

"  Yes,  yes,  the  new  people.  Wreaths,  garlands. 
Yes,  yes,  I'll  remember.  You  live  next  to  the 
little  Dallas  girl." 


I02  Mistress  May 

May  went  out  the  door  with  its  little  bell 
jangling  after  her.  She  felt  rather  mean  about 
what  she  had  done,  and  she  kept  wondering  what 
she  could  do  with  the  candy,  and  where  she  could 
put  it  so  no  one  would  see  it  when  she  reached 
home.  She  thrust  it  into  her  bureau  drawer  be- 
fore she  went  into  her  mother's  room  with  the 
buttons,  and  when  she  had  an  opportunity  she 
drew  it  forth  and  ran  to  the  garret  with  it,  hoping 
that  Jack  would  not  come  up  there.  She  ate  it 
hastily  instead  of  liugeringiy,  as  she  always  did  and 
it  did  not  last  very  long.  She  was  afraid  to  save 
any  lest  her  mother  should  come  across  it.  And 
so,  what  would  have  ordinarily  lasted  a  day  or 
two,  was  consumed  in  two  or  three  minutes.  In 
consequence  she  was  not  very  hungry  for  her 
dinner,  and  the  huckleberry  pudding  of  which  she 
was  very  fond,  could  not  be  half  ajjpreciated  by 
her. 

"  Don't  you  feel  well,  daughter  ?  "  her  mother 
asked. 

"  Yes,  mamma,  but  I  don't  feel  hungry." 

"That's  too  bad,  when  we  have  your  favorite 
dessert.     I  thought  you  would  enjoy  it  so  much." 


Her  Naughtiness  103 

May  did  not  reply,  but  she  thought  of  the  candy 
with  a  guilty  feeling. 

That  evening,  when  Mr.  Garland  came  home, 
from  his  pocket  was  sticking  a  package  done  up 
in  white  paper.  "  Here  daughter,"  he  said  to 
May,  "  I  have  brought  you  a  little  treat.  Take  it 
to  mamma  and  ask  her  to  give  you  some.  I  came 
across  some  of  that  nut  candy  you  like  so  much, 
and  I  thought  I  would  bring  you  all  some  of  it, 
for  I  remembered  that  my  little  girl's  sweet  tooth 
doesn't  get  favored  quite  as  much  now  that  she  is 
saving  up  her  pennies." 

To  think  of  it !  a  whole  package  of  that  deli- 
cious candy,  and  she  needn't  have  run  into  debt 
for  any.  Oh  dear,  if  one  could  only  know  what 
was  going  to  happen.  It  was  such  a  good,  kind, 
papa  to  think  of  bringing  it.  If  he  only  knew 
what  a  deceitful  daughter  he  had  how  disap- 
pointed he  would  be  in  her.  She  had  already  eaten 
so  much  of  the  candy  that  this  second  treat  did  not 
taste  half  as  good  as  she  expected,  and  she  stowed 
away  in  a  box  the  greater  part  of  her  share  of  it. 

The  next  day  there  was  another  errand  to  Mrs. 
Wills'  shop. 


I04  Mistress  May 

"  Can't  Jack  go  ?  "  May  asked. 

"  Why  not  you  ?  "  asked  her  mother.  "  Jack 
has  gone  off  somewhere  with  Rock,  and  I  am  in 
a  hnrry  for  these  things.  I  thought  you  liked 
to  go." 

May  hung  her  head.     "  I  do,  sometimes." 

"  Don't  you  like  to  go  alone  ?  Is  that  it  ?  I've 
no  doubt  that  Eleanor  will  be  glad  to  go  with 
you." 

May's  moral  courage  was  not  great  enough  to 
allow  her  to  face  Mrs.  Wills.  Suppose  she  should 
ask  her  for  the  money  there  before  Eleanor.  May 
thought  that  she  would  be  mortified  to  death  if 
such  a  thing  were  to  happen.  She  sat  still,  won- 
dering how  she  could  get  out  of  doing  the  errand. 

"  Come,  dear,"  her  mother  said,  "  I  want  you  to 
go  right  away.  If  Eleanor  can't  go  with  you, 
then  take  Snap ;  he  is  always  good  company,  I 
am  sure." 

That  gave  May  an  idea.  Eleanor  would  be 
perfectly  willing  to  go  in  and  ask  for  the  things, 
for  if  May  took  Snap  she  could  make  the  excuse 
that  she  didn't  want  to  let  him  go  into  the  shop, 
and  that  she  must  stay  outside  and  watch  him ; 


Her  Naughtiness  105 

for  Mrs.  "Wills  had  lier  own  pets  and  did  not  like 
dogs  to  get  in  and  worry  her  old  duck  or  her  cat. 

The  plan  worked  very  well.  May  went  over  to 
Eleanor's  and  found  that  she  was  glad  to  take  the 
walk,  and  was  quite  ready  to  make  the  purchases, 
since  there  was  Snap  to  be  taken  into  considera- 
tion, and  May  felt  that  all  had  gone  on  very 
smoothly. 

But  it  was  when  Eleanor  came  out  of  the  shop 
that  May's  discomfort  began,  for  Eleanor  began  to 
say :  "  Poor  old  Mrs.  Wills,  I  feel  so  sorry  for 
her.  She  has  such  a  hard  time  getting  along,  for 
some  bigger  shops  have  been  started  in  the  town, 
and  she  has  lost  customers  because  she  is  so 
queer  and  old-fashioned.  The  children  go  to  her, 
but  hardly  any  one  else  does,  and  some  people 
who  came  here  owe  her  a  lot  of  money  and  have 
moved  away  without  paying  their  bill.  I  think 
that  is  just  as  wicked  as  can  be.  Why,  it  was 
stealing  to  take  her  things  and  not  pay  for  them. 
She  has  had  so  much  trouble,  too,  and  has  had 
hard  work  to  get  along  in  the  best  of  times,  and  if 
people  are  so  mean  as  to  cheat  her  that  way,  papa 
says  she  will  lose  her  little  home  and  will  have  to 


io6  Mistress  May 

go  to  tlie  poorliouse,  for  slie  hasn't  a  soul  to  do 
anything  for  her.  Can  you  imagine  any  one  so 
mean,  May,  as  to  owe  money  to  a  poor  old  woman 
like  that,  who  needs  every  cent  she  can  scrape  to- 
gether?" 

May  felt  as  if  she  would  like  the  ground  to 
swallow  her  ujd.  She  was  one  of  those  dreadful 
persons  w^ho  owed  money.  She  had  taken  advan- 
tage of  a  poor  old  woman. 

"Besides,"  Eleanor  went  on,  quite  unconscious 
of  the  sharp  digs  she  was  giving  May,  "  it  wasn't 
as  if  those  peojDle  had  bought  things  that  they 
really  needed ;  I  can  imagine  if  anybody  is  very 
hungry,  or  has  to  have  medicine  that  he  would  go 
in  debt  for  such  things,  and  bills  have  to  be 
sometimes.  It  is  all  right  when  it  is  to  some  one 
that  doesn't  need  the  money,  but  these  people  bought 
cakes  and  candy  and  fruit  and  such  things  that  no 
one  ought  to  get  unless  there  is  plenty  of  money 
to  pay  for  them.  I  just  hate  such  people.  Be- 
sides, Mrs.  Wills  is  so  generous  and  always  wants 
to  give  when  she  can." 

May's  opinion  of  herself  sank  lower  and  lower. 
She  meant  to  pay  Mrs.  Wills,  of  course,  but  sup- 


Her  Naughtiness  107 

pose  everybody  did  so,  how  could  the  old  woman 
get  along  ? 

"Mamma  says,  'many  a  mickle  makes  a 
muckle,' "  Eleanor  went  on,  "  and  she  says  that 
when  one  here  and  one  there  owes  Mrs.  Wills, 
it  all  counts  up,  though  it  seems  very  little  to  each 
one,  but  altogether  it  really  makes  a  big  lot  that 
she  needs  and  ought  to  have.  I'd  rather  go  with- 
out things  all  my  life  than  to  owe  her  one  cent, 
wouldn't  you.  May  ?  " 

May  murmured  something  which  was  not  very 
distinct,  but  Eleanor  did  not  notice ;  she  was  so 
deeply  occupied  with  her  subject. 

When  she  parted  with  May  at  the  gate  it  was 
a  very  unhappy  little  girl  whom  she  left.  May 
mounted  the  stair  slowly  and  went  to  her  mother. 
"  Here  is  the  thread,  mamma,"  she  said. 

"Thank  you,  dear.  What  makes  you  look  so 
miserable  ?  " 

"Do  I  look  miserable?  I  didn't  know  it." 
Then  in  a  low  voice,  "I  am  so  sorry  for  Mrs 
Wills." 

"  Yes,  poor  old  soul,  I  am  sorry  for  her,  too.  I 
try  to  get  all  I  can  from  her,  for  I  have  heard  that 


io8  Mistress  May 

she  is  not  thriving,  and  every  little  helps,  you 
know." 

May  stood  gazing  out  of  the  window.  "  Mamma," 
she  said,  in  a  stifled  voice,  "  is  there  any  way  I 
could  earn  five  cents  right  away,  to-day  ?  " 

"Why,  dearie,  did  you  see  something  at  Mrs. 
Wills'  shop  that  tempted  you  beyond  endurance, 
and  you  think  you  can't  get  through  the  day  with- 
out it?     Tell  me  what  it  is." 

"  It  isn't  anything,  but  it  was  something.  Oh, 
mamma,  I  am  dreadfully  wicked." 

"Why,  my  child." 

"Yes,  mamma,  I  am  one  of  those  people  who 
are  keeping  Mrs.  Wills  out  of  her  money.  I — I 
— got  a  stick  of  nut-candy  from  her  and  I  didn't 
pay  her." 

Her  mother  looked  horrified.  "  You  don't  mean 
you  took  it,  May." 

"  Oh,  no,  mamma,  but  it  was  next  bad.  I  asked 
her  to  let  me  have  it,  and  I  told  her  I  would  pay 
her  the  next  time  I  came  in,  and — and  " 

"  I  see.  That  is  why  you  did  not  want  to  g© 
there  to-day." 

"  Yes,  mamma.     I  meant  to  pay  her,  of  course, 


Her  Naughtiness  109 

but  I  can't  save  tlie  money  for  five  weeks  and  I 
feel  so  ashamed.  I  wish — ^I  wish — I  had  not  done 
it."  There  was  more  than  one  catch  in  her  voice 
as  she  made  her  confession,  and  now  she  gulped 
down  the  lump  that  would  rise  in  her  throat  and 
winked  away  the  tears  which  were  filling  her  eyes. 

Her  mother  did  not  speak  for  a  moment,  then 
she  said,  in  that  low  grieved  voice  that  always 
went  to  May's  heart,  "  I  am  so  sorry  to  hear  this, 
so  sorry.  Of  course  you  must  pay  it  at  once.  It 
is  really  very  little,  I  know,  and  really  would  not 
make  much  difiference,  but  if  every  little  girl  in- 
dulged herself  in  that  way  it  would  soon  amoimt 
to  dollars  and  would  seriously  trouble  Mrs.  Wills. 
Besides  it  is  a  bad  principle  to  go  upon.  You 
know  papa  and  I  do  not  approve  of  such 
things." 

"  I  know,  mamma.  I  knew  it  wasn't  right  all 
the  time,  and  you  know  it  was  the  day  papa 
brought  home  some  of  that  very  kind  of  candy, 
and  that  made  me  feel  worse,  because  he  was  so 
good  and  I  was  so  bad.  I  felt  so  ashamed  when 
I  saw  that  he  had  bought  some."  And  the  tears 
would  no  longer  be  restrained  but  began  to  flow 


no  Mistress  May- 

fast  and  faster.  "  What  can  I  do,  mamma  ?  "  the 
child  asked  ;  "I  will  do  anything  you  say,  if  I  can 
only  earn  the  money  to  pay  for  that  candy,  I  don't 
believe  I  shall  ever  want  to  see  that  kind  again." 

"  Take  this  five  cents  and  go  right  down  and 
pay  your  debt,  and  while  you  are  gone  I  will  try 
to  think  of  something  you  can  do  to  earn  the 
money.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  I  can  find  some 
work  for  you." 

May  dried  her  eyes  and  ran  very  swiftly  to  the 
shop  and  laid  the  nickel  on  the  counter.  "  I  owe 
you  this,  !RIrs.  Wills,"  she  said,  breathlessly.  "I 
am  sorry  I  couldn't  pay  it  sooner." 

The  old  woman  smiled  and  said  :  "  Thank  you, 
little  girl,  I  wish  everybody  was  as  prompt.  How- 
someever,  I  guess  the  Lord  won't  let  me  starv^e. 
Come  in  and  see  my  pigeons.  I've  a  nice  lot  of 
them." 

May  followed  her  to  the  queer  back  yard  and 
saw  the  pretty  tame  creatures  strutting  about  or 
flying  down  to  see  if  their  friend,  the  old  woman, 
had  brought  them  some  tid-bit.  "Jack  wants 
some  pigeons,  so  much,"  May  said.  "W^ould  you 
seU  him  some,  Mrs.  Wills  ?  " 


Her  Naughtiness  m 

"  Why,  yes,  child,  I'd  sell  almost  anything  now- 
adays." 

"  Then,  maybe — ^I'U  tell  Jack.  He  wants  some 
for  his  birthday,  and  perhaps  papa  will  get  them 
for  him.  I'll  tell  him  all  about  them.  How  tame 
they  are,  and  what  queer  little  red  feet  they  have. 
I  believe  they  know  you,  Mrs.  Wills." 

"  I  believe  they  do.  Most  of  my  creatures  are 
very  tame.  I  bring  them  up  that  way  like  chil- 
dren." She  nodded,  and  repeated  the  words  to 
herself  in  a  way  that  she  had,  and  then  led  May 
back  to  the  shop,  but  stopped  her  on  her  way  out, 
having  gone  to  the  case  for  a  cake  which  she  of- 
fered her. 

The  little  girl  put  her  hands  behind  her.  "  Oh, 
no,  I  couldn't,  please,  Mrs.  Wills ;  Just  keep  it  for 
me,"  she  said,  laughing,  "  and  when  I  have  a  penny 
I'll  come  and  get  it."  She  put  her  two  soft  hands 
on  the  old  woman's  poor  maimed  ones,  for  Mrs. 
Wills  had  been  badly  burned  at  one  time.  "  Please, 
Mrs.  Wills,"  she  said,  "mamma  wouldn't  like 
me  to  take  it.  Good-bye."  She  stood  on  tip-toe 
and  kissed  the  withered  old  cheek  and  the  tears 
came  to  Mrs.  Wills'  eyes.     "A  wreath  of  May," 


112  Mistress  May 

she  murmured.  "  I  remember  it  when  I  was 
yoimg." 

May  ran  home  and  sought  her  mother,  losing 
no  time  in  telling  of  the  pigeons.  "  Thej  are  such 
pretty  ones,  mamma,  and  so  tame.  I  know  thej 
are  just  what  Jack  would  like." 

"I'll  speak  to  your  papa  about  them,"  her 
mother  told  her.  "  I  should  be  very  glad  if  he 
decides  to  give  them  to  Jack,  for  we  all  would  like 
to  get  anything  we  can  from  Mrs.  WiUs.  Poor 
old  soul,  she  is  queer  and  flighty,  but  so  kind- 
hearted  and  has  never  done  any  one  a  wrong  in 
her  life  " —     She  paused  and  shook  her  head. 

"  I  am  so  glad  I  have  paid  my  debt,"  sighed 
May.  "Nov»',  mamma,  tell  me  quick,  have  you 
anything  for  me  to  do  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have  six  tea  towels  for  you  to  liera.  I 
will  give  you  a  cent  apiece  for  them." 

"  Good !  then  I'll  have  a  pemiy  for  the  cake  she 
wanted  to  give  me.  I  really  don't  want  it,  mamma, 
for  Martha  makes  much  better  ones,  but  do  you 
think  it  would  be  wasteful  if  I  were  to  go  back 
and  get  it  after  I  have  finished  these  ?  " 

"No,  under  the  circumstances,  I  don't  suppose 


Her  Naughtiness  113 

it  will  be,  for  you  are  not  doing  it  for  yourself,  but 
to  help  a  very  deserving  person." 

"  Then  I  will  stay  in  and  sew  all  the  afternoon." 
And  warm  though  it  was  and  sticky  as  the  fingers 
grew,  so  that  thread  broke  and  knotted  and  the 
needle  refused  to  go  through,  it  was  a  very  con- 
tented and  satisfied  little  girl  who  at  last  finished 
her  work  and  received  her  extra  penny. 


HER  GOODNESS 


CHAPTER  Vn 
Her  Goodness 

May  lost  no  time  iu  telling  her  father  about 
Mrs.  Wills'  pigeons,  and  lie  promised  to  go 
down  and  look  at  them  and  would  perhaps  get 
some  of  them  for  Jack's  birthday  present.  Rock 
had  promised  to  help  build  a  pigeon-house  and 
Patrick  said  the  "burruds"  would  thrive  well 
down  by  the  stables.  Therefore,  there  was  much 
talk  of  Fantails  and  Blue  Antwerps  and  Pouters 
and  what-not  till  Jack's  birthday,  when  three  pairs 
of  the  pretty  creatures,  with  their  iridescent  neck 
and  their  pink  feet,  were  presented  to  Jack. 

"  My,  but  they  are  beauties  !  "  the  little  fellow 
cried,  his  face  shining.  "  Papa,  I  think  you  are 
the  best  man  in  town."  He  lost  no  time  in  rush- 
ing over  to  see  Kock,  and  the  two  boys  spent  the 
entire  day  in  watching  Jack's  new  possessions, 
and  even  afterward  they  spent  hours  at  a  time 
gazing  at  them  from  some  spot, — generally  it  was 

117 


ii8  Mistress  May 

the  roof  of  the  wood-shed, — and  in  commenting 
iipon  the  different  points  of  each. 

Bock  liked  these  so  well  that  he  decided  that 
he  must  have  some  of  the  same  kind,  and  then 
two  or  three  other  bojs  caught  the  enthusiasm, 
and  so  Mi-s.  Wills  drove  quite  a  trade  in  j)igeons 
for  a  while. 

But  the  old  woman  was  growing  feeble,  and  her 
little  shop  became  more  and  more  bare-looking, 
so  that  bj  the  end  of  the  summer  it  seemed  as  if 
she  must  really  give  up.  Her  withered  old  face 
wore  a  pitiful  expression  nowadays,  and  every  one 
felt  very  sorry  for  her,  but  no  one  more  so  than 
May  and  Eleanor.  May,  particularly,  thought 
much  about  it,  for  ever  since  the  circumstance  of 
her  small  debt  she  felt  in  some  way  responsible. 

"  What  is  a  mortgage,  mamma  ?  "  she  asked  one 
day. 

"  Why,  let  me  see.  Suppose  you  wanted  to 
raise  some  money  very  much  and  you  should  come 
to  me  for  it  and  should  say  I  will  pay  you  twenty- 
five  cents  a  year  for  the  use  of  five  dollars,  and  if 
I  can't  pay  the  five  dollars  when  you  want  it,  I 
will  let  you  take  my  lamb ;  that  would  be  a  mort- 


Her  Goodness  119 

gage  on  the  lamb,  and  if  I  were  to  foreclose  the 
mortgage  I  would  take  your  lamb  and  sell  it  and 
pay  myself  the  five  dollars,  or  I  could  keep  the 
lamb." 

"  But  suppose  it  should  sell  for  more  than  five 
dollars." 

"  Then  you  would  have  whatever  was  over  that 
amount." 

May  nodded-  She  understood  why  Mrs.  Wills 
was  worried.  She  could  not  pay  the  interest  on 
her  mortgage  and  could  not  make  enough  for  her 
other  expenses.  She  must  either  give  up  her 
home  or  her  business,  and  since  the  shop  afforded 
her  the  only  way  of  making  a  living,  she  was  at 
her  wit's  ends. 

"  Papa,  I  wish  you  could  give  Mrs.  WiUs  the 
money  to  pay  her  mortgage,"  May  said  to  her 
father.  "I  would  do  anything  in  the  world  if 
you  could ;  I  would  go  without  butter  or  candy  or 
dessert  for  a  whole  year." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  would  not  help  the  matter 
much,"  her  father  said,  smiling. 

"  Then  couldn't  you  do  it,  anyhow  ?  " 

"  I'm  afraid  I  could  not  afford  it,  and  I  don't 


I20  Mistress  May- 

believe  the  old  lady  would  allow  it.  Slie  is  very 
j^roud  and  will  not  accept  anything  that  is  offered 
in  charity." 

"  But  you  could  lend  her  the  money." 

"  She  has  no  way  of  paying  it  back,  and  she  is 
too  honorable  a  woman  to  take  it  under  the  cir- 
cumstances." 

May  said  no  more  to  him  at  that  time,  but  took 
the  matter  to  Eleanor  and  they  talked  it  over  to- 
gether. "Mr.  Atkinson  is  a  very  rich  man,"  said 
Eleanor.  "He  is  the  richest  riiau  in  the  town, 
but  he  isn't  here  very  often,  and  besides,  I 
wouldn't  like  to  ask  him  to  do  anything  like  that." 

"I  would,"  said  May.  "I  vvish  I  knew  him,  I 
would  say,  Mr.  Atkinson,  if  you  want  to  do  some 
good  with  yoiu"  money  I  will  tell  you  a  lovely  way 
to  do  it :  you  can  send  Mrs.  Wills  enough  to  pay 
her  mortgage  and  not  let  her  know  where  it  comes 
from,  so  she  couldn't  give  it  back,  and  would  have 
to  take  it,  and  then  you  would  feel  so  comfortable 
whenever  you  thought  of  it." 

"  Oh,  but  I  coiddn't  say  all  that,  I  would  not 
have  the  courage." 

"  Then  I  will  tell  you  what  you  might  do  :  you 


Her  Goodness  121 

miglit  tell  him  not  to  have  the  lawn  party,  but  to 
give  you  the  money  it  would  cost,  and  we  could 
put  the  money  in  an  envelope  and  take  it  to  Mrs. 
Wills,  and  slip  it  in  her  money-drawer  when  she 
wasn't  looking." 

"  Oh,  but  I  couldn't  ask  him  to  do  that.  He 
would  think  I  was  crazy,  and  mamma  would  not 
like  me  to  ask  him  for  money." 

"  Not  if  you  told  him  what  you  wanted  it  for." 
But  Eleanor  was  shy  about  it.  She  wanted  to 
help  Mrs.  Wills,  but  she  couldn't  bring  herself  to 
make  such  a  request.  And  so  May  determined 
that  something  must  be  done.  She  thought  about 
it  a  great  deal  and  at  last  hit  upon  a  plan.  On 
the  next  Saturday  afternoon,  Mr.  Atkinson,  sitting 
upon  his  front  porch,  saw  a  little  figure  approach- 
ing. He  usually  came  up  from  the  city  to  remain 
over  Sunday,  though  his  family  were  in  Europe, 
and  the  house  was  closed  during  the  week.  But 
he  was  fond  of  the  place  and  liked  the  quiet. 
Knowing,  that  in  pleasant  weather,  he  was  gener- 
ally to  be  found  there  on  Saturdays,  May  started 
forth.  She  had  carefully  arrayed  herself  in  her 
very  best  and  carried  a  new  blue  parasol.     She 


122  Mistress  May- 

took  the  long  way  aroimd  and  went  in  by  the 
main  entrance  and  up  the  gravel  walk. 

Mr.  Atkinson  arose  to  meet  her.  "Well,  my 
little  lass,"  he  said,  "what  can  I  do  for  you? 
I  am  very  glad  to  see  you.  Come  up  and  sit 
down."  He  drew  a  chair  forward  and  May 
seated  herself  gravely.  Now  that  she  was  really 
here,  she  was  overcome  with  the  thought  of  her 
temerity,  and  for  a  minute  or  two  could  not  speak 
a  word.  « 

She  had  hardly  recovered  herself  sufficiently  to 
say :  "  I  am  May  Garland,  and  I  came  to  ask 
you  " — when,  looking  up,  she  saw  a  second  figure 
coming  in  the  gate,  a  very  small  person,  carrying, 
with  great  difficulty,  a  parasol  much  too  large  for 
her,  and  wearing  a  pair  of  kid  gloves  in  which  her 
tiny  hands  were  lost.  Around  her  shoulders  was 
a  white  shawl,  the  fringe  of  which  trailed  in  the 
dust  behind  her,  and  on  her  head  was  a  hat  which 
quite  eclipsed  the  little  head,  whose  short  golden 
locks  peeped  out  from  under  the  hat's  crown. 
The  small  person  approached  with  confidence  and 
a  voice  piped  up  :  "  Here's  Wosy,  May.  I  tomed, 
too." 


Her  Goodness  123 

May  jumped  up  in  confusion.  It  was  Rosalie, 
who,  in  this  fantastic  garb,  liad  followed  her. 
"  Rosalie !  "  she  cried,  "  you  naughty  child !  " 

Rosalie  put  up  a  grieved  lip.  If  May  could 
dress  up  and  go  out  calling,  why  not  she? 
"  Wosy  dood  dirl  ?  "  she  said.       " 

May  looked  irresolutely  from  her  little  sister  to 
Mr.  Atkinson,  who  was  regarding  the  two  with  a 
smile.  "  Will  you  present  the  young  lady  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  It  is  my  little  sister,  Rosalie,"  May  told  him, 
in  a  shamefaced  way.     "  She  has  run  away." 

"  Wunned  away,"  repeated  Rosalie,  nodding  her 
small  head,  complacently. 

Mr.  Atkinson  laughed.  The  funny  figure  was 
too  much  for  his  gravity.  He  caught  up  the 
little  one  and  swung  her  high  in  the  air,  so  that 
one  glove  dropped  off  and  her  hat  rose  and  fell 
like  a  flapping  sail. 

May  seeing  that  Mr.  Atkinson  was  not  shocked, 
began  to  laugh  too.  "She  has  dressed  up  in 
mamma's  things  and  has  followed  me,"  she  ex- 
plained. "  That  is  mamma's  garden  hat  and  para- 
sol,  and  those  are  her  garden   gloves  that    she 


I2tt  Mistress  May- 

wears  when  slie  goes  out  to  trim  the  bushes  and 
to  cut  flowers,  and  the  shawl  she  keeps  doMTi- 
stairs  to  throw  around  her  when  it  is  too  cool. 
I  should  think  P^osj  would  be  melted,  it  is  so 
v/arm  to-daj."  And,  indeed,  the  little  face  was 
rather  flushed.  "  I'll  have  to  take  her  right  back," 
she  added. 

"Don't  be  in  a  hiu-ry,"  said  Mr.  Atkinson. 
"  I'll  take  you  back  in  the  carriage."  He  stepped 
inside  the  door  and  touched  an  electric  button. 
"Have  the  carriage  around  at  once,  the  surrey," 
he  said,  to  the  sei-vant  who  appeared,  "  and  teU 
Abner  to  step  over  to  Mr.  Garland's  and  tell  them 
there  that  their  little  giiis  are  here  with  me. 
Now,  dears,  I'll  have  my  call  and  we  can  take  our 
time." 

May  had  taken  off  Rosalie's  shawl  and  hat,  but 
she  persistently  clung  to  the  gloves,  gravely  fold- 
ing one  hand  upon  the  other,  and  viewing  both 
admiringly.  Mr.  Atkinson  took  her  in  his  lap, 
and  then  looked  inquiringly  at  May.  "Now 
then,  my  dear,  you  were  going  to  ask  me 
something." 

May   looked   down.      "Yes, — I — I" —      She 


Her  Goodness  125 

paused ;  then  slie  blurted  out :  "  Are  you  very 
rich?" 

Mr.  Atkinson  laughed.  "I  am  not  a  pauper, 
but  compared  to  some  persons,  I  am  not  over- 
burdened with  wealth.  I  generally  can  find  a 
good  use  for  what  I  have." 

"  Oh !  "     May  looked  disappointed. 

"  Go  on,  dear  Perhaps  we  can  find  a  way  to 
get  what  you  want,  if  you  will  tell  me  what  it  is," 
he  said,  encouragingly. 

May  gained  courage  from  the  gentle  voice  and 
smile.  "You  see,"  she  began,  "it's  about  Mrs. 
Wills,  and  Eleanor  said, — you  know  the  lawn 
party  ?  Well,  she  said  you  told  her  to  invite  just 
whom  she  chose,  and  she  asked  me  and  I  thought 
— Will  it  cost  very  much  ?  " 

"Why?" 

"Because,  you  know,  if  you  wouldn't  mind  giv- 
ing the  money  we  wouldn't  mind  giving  up  the 
party,  and  then  Mrs.  Wills  could  have  the  money, 
and — and — you  know  Mrs.  Wills,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  The  old  woman  who  keeps  the  little  shop  over 
on  Main  street  ?  " 

"Yes,  that's  the  one,  and  she's  got  a  mortgage." 


126  Mistress  May 

Mr,  Atkinson  nodded. 

"  And  she  can't  get  rid  of  it," — as  thougla  it 
were  some  chronic  disease, — "  and  she's  getting 
poorer  and  poorer  and  some  people  " — May  took 
a  breath  as  the  color  flamed  up  into  her  face. 
"  Some  people  owe  her  a  lot  of  money  and  they 
won't  pay  her,  so  she  got  in  debt  for  the  things 
she  sells,  and  she  is  old  and  queer  and  forgets 
things,  so  people  go  to  the  new  shops  and  she'll 
lose  her  home.  Oh  dear,  it  must  be  dreadful  to 
be  old  and  poor,  and  not  have  any  children  or  any 
one  to  look  after  you." 

"It  is  very  hard,  very."  Mr.  Atkinson  looked 
thoughtful.  "  That  would  be  one  way  to  help," 
he  said,  after  a  pause,  "  but  I  think  we  can  do 
better.  How  would  you  like  this  plan?  I  meant 
to  have  the  refreshments  and  the  little  favors  all 
from  the  city.  Now,  suppose  we  satisfy  ourselves 
with  what  Mrs.  Wills  can  supply,  and  I  buy  from 
her  stock  what  she  has.  Do  you  think  that 
would  do  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that's  a  lovely  plan."  May's  eyes 
sparkled.  "  To  be  sure,"  she  laughed,  "  some  of 
the  things  are  very  stale,  for  they  have  been  there 


Her  Goodness  127 

lorever,  and  tliey  are  all  stuck  together,  but 
Eleanor  and  I  would  eat  the  worst  looking  ones  : 
You  would,  too,  wouldn't  you  ?  " 

Mr.  Atkinson  nodded,  amusement  in  liis  eyes. 
"  Yes,  I  promise  not  to  touch  the  better  things. 
Then  will  you  and  Eleanor  go  with  me  on  Monday 
morning  and  pick  out  the  toys  we  are  to  have  for 
favors  ?  There  will  be  about  twenty -five  or  thii-ty 
children,  I  believe,  Eleanor  and  I  counted,  and  we 
can  make  quite  a  hole  in  the  old  lady's  stock, 
can't  we  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  so.  Oh,  I  shall  just  love  that." 
May  clasped  her  hands  and  Hosalie  followed  suit, 
the  finger  ends  of  her  gloves  flapping  smartly  as 
she  did  so. 

Mr.  Atkinson  gave  her  a  hug  and  went  on, 
"  You  see  it  will  not  hurt  the  old  lady's  feelings  if 
we  help  in  that  way,  and  I  will  promise  to  do 
what  I  can  about  the  moi-tgage  afterward." 

May  went  up  to  him  and  put  a  timid  hand  on 
his  arm.  "  I  think  you  are  very  good,  and  I  am 
very  glad  I  came." 

He  put  his  arm  around  her.  "  I  am  very  glad 
you  came,  too." 


128  Mistress  May 

"  And  I  think  it  will  be  the  nicest  thing  in  the 
world  to  go  and  buy  all  those  things.  I  just  love 
to  spend  money." 

Mr.  Atkinson  laughed  at  this  honest  confession. 
"  There's  the  carriage,"  he  said.  "  We  will  stop  by 
and  pick  up  Eleanor  and  take  a  drive,  if  you  like. 
Your  mother  will  let  the  little  one  go,  you  think?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  but  she  must  get  her  own  hat.  Does 
Rosy  want  to  go  riding  with  sister  and  Mr. 
Atkinspn  ?  " 

Kosy  looked  up  into  Mr.  Atkinson's  face.  "  Get 
up,  horsey,"  she  said.  Then,  to  her  delight,  she 
was  carried  out  to  the  carriage,  and  with  Eleanor 
they  went  for  a  long  drive.  There  was  much  chat- 
tering over  the  plan  which  Mr.  Atkinson  had  sug- 
gested, for  Eleanor  was  delighted  with  it.  "  Won't 
it  be  fun,"  she  said,  "  to  go  and  pick  out;  the  things  ? 
I  have  always  been  crazy  to  see  what  was  in  some 
of  those  boxes,  and  now  we  will  know."  But  when 
the  three  children  were  set  down  outside  the  Gar- 
land's gate  and  Mr.  Atkinson  had  driven  off,  Elea- 
nor turned  to  May  and  said  :  "  I  don't  see  how  you 
had  the  grit  to  go  up  there  and  tell  Mr.  Atkinsoa 
when  you  didn't  know  him  at  all." 


Her  Goodness  129 

"  I  don't  know,  either,"  May  replied,  "  but  I  liad 
to  do  sometliing,  and  I  couldn't  think  of  anything 
else." 

That  evening  Mr.  Atkinson  called  upon  Mr.  Gar- 
land and  the  two  had  quite  a  long  talk.  From  the 
words  dropped  once  in  a  while  Eleanor  knew  they 
were  talking  about  Mrs.  Wills'  mortgage,  and  she 
longed  to  know  more.  "When  Mr.  Atkinson  had 
gone,  her  father  called  her  to  him  and  said,  as  he 
put  his  arm  around  her  :  "I  think  we  are  going  to 
get  your  friend  Mrs.  Wills  out  of  her  difficulty. 
Mr.  Atkinson  is  much  interested,  and  he  is  not  a 
man  to  give  a  wordy  sympathy ;  he  generally  fol- 
lows up  his  words  with  deeds,  and  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  he  were  to  take  the  mortgage  himself, 
and  then  the  only  thing  to  do  will  be  to  see  that 
Mrs.  Wills  gets  her  debts  paid,  and  maybe  the 
rest  of  us  can  manage  to  see  her  through.  Every 
little  helps,  and  we  can  each  do  his  share." 

Those  words  :  "  every  little  helps,"  kept  ringing 
in  May's  ears  and  she  determined  to  give  up  her 
ten  cents  that  week,  anyhow.  "I  wish  I  had 
something  more,"  she  thought.  Then  suddenly 
she  grew  very  red  in  the  face  and  the  tears  came 


130  Mistress  May 

to  her  eyes.  "  I  wish  I  hadn't  thought  of  that," 
she  said  aloud.  "  I  wish  I  hadn't.  Oh,  Suzette, 
I  wish  I  hadn't."  She  ran  down  to  the  pasture 
where  her  lamb  was  lying  under  a  tree,  and  led 
her  out  into  a  sheltered  spot  in  the  hollow.  There 
she  hugged  her  and  kissed  her,  the  tears  falling 
on  Suzette's  woolly  coat.  "  Oh,  Suzette,  my  dear, 
I  love  you  so,"  she  said,  "  and  yet  I  know  you 
would  bring  a  good  price  now,  you  are  so  big  and 
strong  and  lovely.  But  mamma  says  you  are  too 
mischievous,  and  papa  says  you  nibble,  nibble 
everything,  and  that  soon  you  will  be  jumping  the 
fences ;  so  Suzette,  my  dear  Suzette,  I  shall  have  to 
let  you  go  after  a  while,  papa  says,  and  so  I  will 
ask  Mr.  Snyder  to  take  you.  You  will  be  happy 
in  the  place  where  you  were  born  and  where  there 
are  other  sheep  and  lambs  for  you  to  play  with." 
She  put  her  head  down  on  the  lamb's  back  and 
wept  afresh.  "I  hoped  I  could  keep  you.  I 
hoped  I  could,  but  you  will  be  happy,  Suzette,  and 
I  will  see  you  often.  I  will  ask  Mr.  Snyder  not  to 
sell  you.  I  don't  believe  he  will  do  that,  but  I 
shall  miss  you  so,  you  dear  woolly  darling.  You 
are  going  to  stay  till  after  the  garden  party,  for 


Her  Goodness  131 

you  are  invited,  and  I  couldn't  be  a  shepherdess 
unless  I  had  a  lamb  to  follow  me ;  so  dear,  you 
will  not  have  to  miss  that." 

She  led  the  lamb  back  to  the  pasture  after  a 
time,  but  the  decision  had  been  too  much  for  her, 
and  she  was  such  a  cross  little  girl  the  rest  of  the 
day  that  her  mother  had  to  reprove  her  more  than 
once. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  May  ?  "  she  asked.  "  You 
are  so  snappish  to  your  little  brother." 

"  Well,  mamma,  he  is  teasing  me." 

"  Don't  pay  any  attention  to  him  then.  That  is 
the  best  way.  I  am  sure  it  is  not  a  hard  thing  to 
forgive  a  little  mischief." 

"  I  am  tired  of  forgiving.  I  have  to  do  it  every 
day." 

"  But  the  Bible  says  *  seventy  times  seven.' " 

May  was  silent  a  moment,  then  she  asked,  "  How 
many  times  is  seventy  times  seven,  mamma  ?  " 

*'  It  is  four  hundred  and  ninety." 

"  Then,"  said  May,  triumphantly,  "  I  don't  have 
to  forgive  Jack  any  more,  for  I  know  I  have  for- 
given him  once  a  day  ever  since  he  was  born." 

Her   mother   said  nothing,  but  she  wondered 


132  Mistress  May 

what  had  so  disturbed  her  little  daughter,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  she  found  out,  for  May  con- 
fided to  her  that  night  that  she  was  going  to  give 
up  her  lamb. 

Yet  when  she  saw  Mr.  Snyder  approaching  that 
week,  she  felt  inclined  to  run  off,  and  hide,  which 
was  not  the  way  she  usually  felt,  for  she  was  very 
fond  of  him  and  always  was  on  the  lookout  for 
him.  She  did  not  run  away  this  time,  but  did 
quite  the  opposite,  for  she  led  Suzette  up  to  him 
and  aske  1 :  "  How  much  do  you  think  my  lamb  is 
worth  now,  Mr.  Snyder  ?  " 

He  looked  the  lamb  over,  felt  her  woolly  sides, 
and  answered :  "  About  five  dollars,  I  should  say. 
She  is  in  fine  trim  and  hasn't  been  clipped." 

"  That  is  a  good  deal,"  May  said.  "  "Well,"  she 
gave  a  long  sigh.  "I  expect  you  will  have  to  take 
her  back  again." 

"  Too  troublesome  ?  " 

"  No,  not  that,  though  she  is  a  little  mischief ; 
but  I  could  keep  her  longer,  only  I  want  the 
money." 

Mr.  Snyder  threw  back  his  head.  "  Ha,  ha,  ha ! 
I  thought  you  would  get  tired  of  your  bargain." 


Her  Goodness  133 

*  But  I'm  not,  I'm  not."  May  threw  lier  arms 
around  Suzette  and  burst  into  tears. 

Mr.  Snyder's  laughter  stopped  on  tlie  instant. 
"  Sho ! "  lie  exclaimed,  "  now  that's  too  bad.  I 
didn't  go  for  to  make  you  cry,  my  girL  Just  tell 
me  how  it  is." 

"  I  don't  want  her  to  go,  and  oh,  please  don't 
sell  her  to  any  one  else,  Mr.  Snyder.  Please  keep 
her  and  let  her  have  a  good  time  out  there  with 
the  rest  of  the  sheep  in  your  pasture."  May's 
tears  still  flowed. 

"  Sho ! "     Mr.  Snyder  found  no  other  word. 

"  It's  for  Mrs.  Wills.  She  is  old  and  poor  and 
half  sick,  and  has  nobody  to  love  her,  and  I  have 
so  many  people  to  love  me,  and  I  can  help,  for  five 
dollars  is  really  so  very  much  and  I  don't  believe 
that  any  one  will  give  much  more  than  that,  but  I 
want  to  do  it." 

Mr.  Snyder  turned  away  his  head.  "  Bless  my 
soul,"  he  said,  huskily.  "  No  sirree,  I'll  not  sell 
her  to  the  President  himself,  and  you  shall  come 
out  and  see  her  whenever  you  want  to,  and  there's 
your  five  dollars."     He  handed  out  a  bill. 

•*But  I  don't  want  her  to  go  to-day."     May 


134  Mistress  May 

thrust  back  the  money  in  alarm.  "  She  is  going 
to  the  lawn  party.  I  don't  want  jon  to  take  her 
till  next  week." 

"  All  right ;  just  keep  the  cash.  Now,  come  up 
here  and  tell  me  all  about  this."  He  lifted  May 
up  on  the  seat  of  the  wagon  and  she  poured  forth 
her  tale,  to  which  he  listened  attentively.  "  H — m, 
h — m,"  he  said,  when  she  had  finished.  "Well, 
well,  well,  I'll  have  to  look  into  this."  And  he 
drove  away,  leaving  May  both  glad  and  sony. 


HER  ILLNESS 


CHAPTER  Vm 
Her  Illness 

The  two  little  girls,  with  Mr.  Atkinson,  visited 
Mrs.  Wills'  shop  on  Monday  morning,  and  when 
they  left  the  old  lady's  stock  had  grown  so  much 
less  and  her  money-drawer  so  much  fuller  that  she 
could  hardly  believe  her  eyes.  It  was  indeed  a 
queer-looking  lot  of  goods  which  the  purchasers 
carried  away ;  antiquated  toys,  old-fashioned  fancy- 
work,  bags  and  purses  quite  out  of  date,  candies 
that  had  grown  sugary  from  standing,  and  cakes 
that  were  of  no  use  except  to  feed  the  pets  with, 
May  declared.  "  They  won't  know  they  are  stale," 
she  said.  "  Snap  and  the  pigeons,  and  Biddy  and 
Buff,  will  like  them  just  as  well."  So  then  and 
there  these  articles  were  bestowed  upon  her.  They 
found,  by  poking  into  corners,  some  really  pretty 
and  odd  things,  and  these  with  the  ribbons  Mrs. 
Wills  could  supply,  were  decked  up  and  made  into 

very  attractive  favors. 

137 


138  Mistress  May 

The  story  of  the  use  to  be  made  of  these  pur- 
chases had  gone  the  rounds,  and  the  children  were 
mightily  pleased,  with  very  few  exceptions.  May 
and  Eleanor  were  in  high  feather,  and  dressed 
themselves  for  the  occasion,  feeling  entire  satisfac- 
tion in  the  pleasure  before  them..  May  wore  her 
pretty  shepherdess  dress,  and  when  she  appeared 
with  her  long  crook  and  her  little  white  lamb  fol- 
lowing her,  she  made  quite  a  sensation.  Suzette 
had  been  thoroughly  soused  and  scrubbed,  and  had 
literally  a  "  fleece  as  white  as  snow."  Around  her 
neck  was  a  pink  satin  ribbon.  "  She  looks  just 
like  a  picture  lamb,"  May  declared.  Eleanor  wore 
a  flower  dress  and  appeared  as  a  white  daisy,  with 
a  petalled  hat  upon  her  fair  head.  There  were 
many  other  flower  dresses,  pansies  and  roses  and 
sunflowers,  and  with  the  boys  as  shepherds,  as 
white  moths  or  yellow  butterflies,  the  lawn  showed 
a  bright  and  charming  company. 

There  was  music  and  feasting  and  fun  in  abund- 
ance, and  the  fact  that  there  were  no  refreshments 
except  such  as  Mrs.  Wills'  shop  could  furnish,  in 
no  way  lessened  the  pleasure.  Indeed,  they  all 
thought  it  a  great  joke  to  see  a  pile  of  sour-balls, 


Her  niness  139 

a  basket  of  popcorn,  or  a  stack  of  mint-sticks,  and 
each  cliild  went  liome  perfectly  satisfied. 

May  liad  added  lier  five  dollars  to  tlie  fund  that 
was  being  raised  for  Mrs.  Wills,  whose  friends  had 
at  last  persuaded  her  that  she  must  accept  what 
was  given  cheerfully  and  lovingly  for  her  comfort, 
and  the  members  of  the  church,  which  the  old  lady 
had  attended  for  so  many  years,  had  made  her  feel 
that  it  was  a  privilege  to  help  one  who  had  never 
withheld  her  mite.  May  felt  very  happy  when  she 
was  told  all  this,  but  she  dreaded  the  day  when 
Suzette  must  leave  her.  "  You  will  be  going  to 
school,  so  you  will  not  miss  her  so  much,"  her 
mother  told  her,  "  and  you  will  have  the  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  she  will  be  well  taken  care  of." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  May  returned,  "  but  I  shall  miss 
her  just  the  same." 

•'  But  you  are  not  sorry  that  you  sold  her." 

"No,  I'm  very  glad,  but,  mamma,  I  hope  Mr. 
Snyder  will  come  for  her  while  I  am  at  school,  for 
I  don't  want  to  see  her  go." 

Her  mother  said  nothing,  but  she  made  up 
her  mind  that  Mr.  Snyder  should  be  given  a 
hint  as  to  the  best  time  to  come  for  the  lamb,  and 


I40  Mistress  May 

that  May  should  be  spared  the  pain  of  seeing  her 
taken. 

But  toward  the  close  of  the  summer,  and  just  as 
Mrs.  Wills'  affairs  seemed  in  a  promising  state, 
the  poor  old  woman  fell  ill.  The  worry  and  the 
losses  so  wore  upon  her  that  even  when  relief  was 
in  sight,  she  could  bear  up  no  longer,  and  the  little 
shop  was  at  last  closed,  much  to  the  regret  of  the 
children  to  whom  the  tinkling  bell  over  the  door 
had  become  a  familiar  sound  associated  with  mo- 
ments of  pleasure. 

"  What  will  she  do  when  she  gets  well '?  "  May 
asked.  "  She  can't  stay  at  the  hospital  forever, 
can  she  ?  " 

"  Not  when  she  is  well.  We  have  thought  c£ 
getting  her  into  some  good  institution,  but  she 
cannot  bear  the  idea.  She  still  holds  her  little 
property,  thanks  to  Mr.  Atkinson,  but  it  would  be 
foolish  for  her  to  start  up  her  business  again,  for 
she  is  not  able  to  do  much." 

"  I  wish  she  had  somebody  to  take  care  of  her, 
or  to  live  with  her  and  keep  the  shop,"  said  May. 
"  I  wish  her  little  girl  had  lived,  then  she  would  do 
it,  wouldn't  she,  mamma  ?  " 


Her  Illness  141 

"  I  hope  so,  but  daughters  cannot  always  leave 
their  own  homes,  you  know." 

"  I  would,  if  I  had  a  home,  and  you  needed  me." 

"  I  hope  I  shall  never  need  to  ask  you  to  do 
that." 

The  idea  of  her  own  mother,  old  and  helpless, 
so  wrought  upon  May  that  she  leaned  very  close 
against  her  mother's  chair,  and  put  her  hand  over 
her  eyes.  "  I  don't  like  you  even  to  talk  about  it," 
she  said.     "  It  most  makes  me  cry." 

Her  mother  laughed  and  assured  her  that  she 
need  not  begin  to  worry  over  the  matter  yet,  for, 
as  far  as  she  could  see,  she  was  in  no  danger  of 
being  in  as  desolate  and  lonely  condition  as  poor 
old  Mrs.  Wills. 

Yet  the  question  of  what  was  to  become  of  the 
old  lady  was  one  that  very  often  came  up  in  more 
than  one  family,  and  at  last  was  settled  by  Mr. 
Snyder,  who  had  taken  a  lively  interest  in  her  af- 
fairs. He  had  taken  her  ducks  and  chickens  and 
pigeons  in  charge,  when  she  was  taken  ill,  and  had 
carried  them  out  to  his  own  place  where  they  were 
faithfully  looked  after.  "  There  is  no  reason  why 
she  couldn't  come,  too,"  he  said,  when  he  heard  of 


142  Mistress  Klay 

this  latest  difficulty.  "  There's  plenty  of  room  in 
our  old  house,  and  my  wife  will  be  glad  to  have 
her.  We  haven't  any  kinfolks  to  interfere  with 
her,  and  I'm  obliged  to  be  away  a  good  deal,  so 
Almu-j  gets  sort  of  lonesome  ;  she'll  like  to  have 
the  old  woman  to  talk  to.  She  often  says  to  me  : 
'  Men  folks  are  good  enough  when  you  want  'em, 
but  once  in  a  while  a  woman  likes  to  have  a  woman 
around.'  Yes,  that's  just  what  we'll  do,  and  she 
needn't  feel  like  she's  taken  in  out  of  charity. 
We'll  make  her  understand  she's  wanted.  I  reckon 
she's  a  first-rate  hand  with  all  kinds  of  critturs, 
ain't  she  ?  " 

"  I  think  she  must  be,"  Mrs.  Garland  told  him. 
"You  see  she  has  kept  all  those  chickens  and 
ducks  and  pigeons  in  that  little  yard  of  hers." 

"Yes,  yes,  that's  so.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if 
she'd  earn  her  board  twice  over.  I'll  just  drop 
'round  by  the  hospital  and  have  a  talk  with  her." 
This  he  did  without  delay,  and  the  result  was  that 
in  another  week  Mrs.  Wills  went  to  her  new  home, 
leaving  her  affairs  in  Mr.  Atkinson's  hands ;  and 
so  well  did  he  manage  that  when  all  was  settled 
up  she  had  quite  a  tidy  sum  which  would  serve  to 


Her  Illness  143 

clothe  lier  and  provide  lier  with  necessities  while 
she  lived. 

"  She's  queer  as  Dick's  hat-band,"  Mr.  Snjder 
said,  "  but  Almny  gets  along  with  her  first-rate. 
They  clip  it  off  like  they  had  been  brought  up  to- 
gether. She's  right  spry  yet,  though  she's  sort 
of  loose  in  the  uj^per  story,  and  she's  handy  as 
they  make  'em,  and  got  the  best  disposition.  As 
for  poultry,  why,  she's  just  lifted  that  right  off  of 
Mrs.  Snyder's  shoulders.  Don't  have  to  bother 
over  that  a  mite." 

All  this  was  good  news  to  every  one,  and  it 
seemed  that  Mrs.  Wills  had  found  the  right  niche. 

"Suzette,  is  she  well?"  May  never  failed  to 
ask,  and  the  answer  always  was :  "  She's  fresh  as 
a  daisy,  and  frisky  as  a  kitten." 

Yet  May  missed  her  pet,  and  as  the  eat  and 
kitten  found  the  stable  a  more  attractive  place 
than  the  house,  and  Snap  was  given  to  frequent 
outings  upon  his  own  account,  she  turned  to  her 
dolls,  especially  as  Eleanor  cared  more  for  dolls 
than  anything  else. 

The  latter  part  of  the  summer  there  came  a, 
ireek  or  two  when  May  had  to  be  housed,  for  that 


144  Mistress  May 

very  disagreeable,  but  in  this  case  not  dangerous, 
visitor,  the  mumps  arrived,  and  so  she  was  shut 
up  indoors  where  she  fretted  a  good  deal.  Kind 
Mr.  Snyder  was  quite  concerned  when  he  heard  of 
it,  and  at  first,  in  his  usual  hospitable  way,  in- 
sisted that  she  should  be  sent  out  to  his  farm,  but 
Mrs.  Garland  declared  that  she  could  not  let  her 
little  daughter  leave  her  when  she  was  not  well. 

"  I  suppose  she  can't  have  visitors,  has  to  be 
kept  from  the  rest  of  the  children,  I  dare  say. 
Mumps  ain't  often  dangerous,  but  they  are  terri- 
ble unpleasant.  Have  to  live  on  spoon-vittles  all 
the  time." 

He  drove  off,  but  the  next  day  he  returned.  "  I 
just  stopped  by,"  he  told  Mrs.  Garland.  "My 
wife  sent  in  a  little  mess  of  something  for  the  in- 
valid and  some  company  for  her.  Thought  it 
might  amuse  her.  It's  a  queer  kind  of  crittur, 
but  my  wife  sets  lots  of  store  by  it.  It  was  hers 
when  she  was  a  little  gal,  and  she  says  to  tell 
your  May  that  Miss  Silence  has  come  for  a  little 
visit."  And  he  handed  down  a  large  old-fashioned 
doll  with  rows  of  black  curls  around  her  head,  and 
•with  staring  eyes.    She  was  dressed  in  the  fashion 


Her  Illness  145 

of  nearly  fifty  years  ago,  in  hooped  skirt,  and  what 
Mrs.  Snyder  termed  a  "flat"  with  a  fall  of  lace 
around  the  brim  and  a  "  mantilla."  Mrs.  Garland 
declared  her  a  real  curiosity  and  promised  that 
May  should  take  good  care  of  her,  and  would  send 
her  home  when  the  mumps  had  disappeared.  "  It 
was  certainly  very  kind  of  Mrs.  Snyder  to  think 
of  sending  her,"  she  said,  "and  this  delicious 
cream,  too." 

May,  looking  very  pale,  and  with  much  swollen 
jaws,  tried  to  laugh  when  she  saw  Silenca  "  Isn't 
she  funny,  mamma?  and  what  a  nice  name,  Si- 
lence, for  she  can't  talk.  Come  here,  my  dear," 
and  she  held  out  her  hands  for  the  doll.  "  I  wish 
Eleanor  could  see  her.  Won't  you  tell  Jack  to  go 
and  ask  her  to  come  to  the  garden  under  my  win- 
dow, and  I  will  hold  up  Silence  where  she  can  see 
her." 

Every  day  Eleanor  came  over  and  by  signs  and 
notes  carried  on  a  conversation  with  May,  so  that 
she  did  not  feel  altogether  forsaken.  Yet  it  was  a 
trial  for  an  active  little  girl  to  be  shut  up  in  one 
room,  and  not  to  be  able  to  eat  anything  but  soft 
food,  and   to   have  her  face  hurt  her  when  she 


146  Mistress  May 

laughed,  and  to  feel  hot  and  uncomfortable.  But 
she  bore  it  very  well,  considering  that  she  was  not 
a  very  patient  person,  and,  with  the  help  of  Si- 
lence, managed  to  get  through  the  days  pretty 
well.  Silence  was  such  a  big  creature,  larger 
than  any  of  May's  own  dolls,  and  her  mother  gave 
her  some  little  out-gi'own  baby  clothes  of  Rosalie's 
which  just  fitted  Silence,  so  that  May  had  many  a 
good  play  by  herself  with  this  big  doll.  She  was 
shipwrecked  on  a  lonely  island ;  she  was  a  light- 
house keeper;  she  was  a  pioneer  going  to  the 
great  west ;  she  was  a  dozen  different  things,  and 
Mrs.  Snyder  could  have  sent  nothing  which  would 
have  amused  the  little  prisoner  more  than  this 
same  round-eyed  Silence. 

One  other  person  shared  May's  plays  with  her 
during  this  time,  and  that  was  Bubbles,  for  the 
little  darkey  insisted  that  she  had  had  the  mumps 
"bofe  sides,"  arid  was,  as  Mrs.  Garland  declared, 
an  immune,  so  Mrs.  Dallas  very  kindly  allowed 
Bubbles  to  come  over  every  afternoon  to  bear 
May  company,  and  though  Eleanor  was  on  this 
account,  doubly  bereft,  she  contented  herself  with 
Rock,  or  would  sometimes  take  her  pony  and  go 


Her  Illness  147 

for  her  little  cousin,  Jessie  Murdoch,  and  take  her 
to  drive,  for  Jessie  was  much  more  of  a  favorite 
than  Olive. 

Bubbles  was  great  fun ;  she  had  a  lively  imag- 
ination and  had  been  so  long  a  playmate  of 
Eleanor's  that  she  could  suggest  all  sorts  of 
amusements,  and  could  entertain  May  by  the  hour 
with  accounts  of  her  exploits  and  Eleanor's.  She 
was  willing,  too,  to  accept  any  character  and  was 
quite  as  ready  to  be  a  savage  as  a  sea-captain,  as 
the  occasion  demanded. 

She  appeared  one  afternoon  all  smiles,  as  was 
her  wont,  and  began  with :  "  Les  play  we  gwine 
er  go  to — ^wha'  dat  place  whar  dey  grows  o'anges 
an'  all  dem  things  ?  " 

"  Florida  ?  "  suggested  May. 

"  No,  miss,  dat  ain't  zackly  hit." 

"  California  then." 

"  Dat  de  identicous  place.  Sposin'  we  goes  off 
thar  an'  gits  dem  o'anges  an'  grapes  an'  p'ars. 
My,  but  dey  is  mighty  good,  dey  fa'r  make  mah 
mouth  watah."  Bubbles  was  always  ready  to 
select  a  play  in  which  she  could  introduce  some- 
thing good  to  eat. 


148  Mistress  May 

"  But  I  can't  eat  any  of  those  things,"  May  pro- 
tested.    "  I've  got  the  mumps." 

Bubbles  looked  at  her  with  scorn.  "  Law,  Miss 
May,  no  yuh  hain't,  not  when  yuh  makes  believe. 
Yuh  ain't  gwine  ter  Calif omy  really,  an'  I  reckons 
de  kin'  o'  o'anges  we-alls  will  git  won't  hurt  yuh 
none," 

May  agreed  that  this  was  quite  true,  and  the 
play  proceeded. 

"  What  I  gwuie  be  ?  Nuss  gal  ? "  asked 
Bubbles,  brightly,  "  or  is  I  one  o'  dem  cullud 
gemmans  on  de  cyars  what  takes  de  baigs.  I  kin 
start  out  nuss  gal,  an'  kin  win'  up  potah.  Das  de 
way  Miss  Dimple  an'  me  gen' ally  plays  hit." 

"  All  right,"  May  responded,  "  that  will  do  very 
well.     I'll  call  you — what  shall  I  call  you  ?  " 

"Miss  Dimple  call  me  Hetty  when  I  de  gal, 
an'  Sam  when  I  de  potah." 

"  Then  I  will  do  that,  too.  Bring  me  the  baby, 
Hetty,  we  will  start  for  California  at  once." 

"Law,  Miss  May,  dat  ain't  de  way.  Yuh  is 
'bleedged  ter  talk  'bout  hit  fo'  a  long  time ;  fus' 
yuh  is  gwine,  an'  den  yuh  isn't,  an'  den  yuh  has 
ter  pack  de  trunks  an'  de  baigs  an'  put  up  de 


Her  DIness  149 

luncli.  De  play  won't  las'  no  time  ef  yuh  starts 
off  dat-a-way." 

"  Oh,  very  well.  I  am  thinking  of  taking  a  trip 
to  California,  Hetty,  but  I  haven't  decided  about 
it,  but  I  think  you  had  better  get  the  baby's 
clothes  together  and  let  me  look  them  over." 
This  was  highly  satisfactory  as  a  beginning,  and 
Bubbles  obeyed  with  alacrity. 

In  this  play  she  was  entirely  at  home,  and  acted 
her  double  part  with  great  success.  One  minute 
she  was  holding  the  baby  and  the  next  she  was 
making  up  the  sleeping  berth  or  shouting  out  in  a 
lusty  voice :  "  Last  call  fo'  dinnah,"  and  would 
step  back  into  her  position  as  nurse,  while  May 
went  forward  to  the  dining  car.  She  even  took  a 
third  character  when  they  arrived  in  California, 
for  she  instantly  became  the  owner  of  a  large 
orange  grove,  and  plucked  imaginary  fruit  from 
curtain  poles  or  gas  brackets  with  the  utmost  ease, 
describing  the  quality  with  such  gusto  that  May 
declared.  "Tou  really  give  me  a  pain  in  my 
mumps,  Bubbles,  for  I  feel  as  if  I  were  actually 
eating  oranges." 

"  Hi !  "  exclaimed  Bubbles  at   this  poiut,  "  dey 


150  Mistress  May 

somebody  callin'  down  dere,  Miss  May.  Hit  Miss 
Dimple,  I  be  boun'."  She  went  to  the  window, 
raised  it  and  looked  out.  To  be  sure,  there  was 
Eleanor  below. 

"Let  down  the  basket.  Bubbles,"  she  called. 
"  Here  is  something  mamma  sent  in."  And  Bub- 
bles hastened  to  obey. 

"  "What  are  you  playing  ?  "  asked  Eleanor,  wist- 
fully.    "I  wish  I  could  come  in." 

"We  playin'  dat  game  yuh  an'  me  plays  on 
rainy  days ;  dat  game  when  we  goes  to  Cali- 
forny.  We  done  got  there  now,  but  de  o'anges 
mek  Miss  May's  face  ache,  so  we  ain't  gwine  stay 
long." 

"Well,  I  must  go  back,"  returned  Eleanor. 
"  Give  what's  in  the  basket  to  Miss  May  with 
mamma's  love,  and  tell  her  I  wish  she'd  huny 
and  get  well." 

Bubbles  drew  up  the  basket  which  was  used  to 
pull  up  or  let  down  the  various  notes  which  Elea- 
nor and  May  wrote  to  each  other,  and  when  it 
was  opened  by  Bubbles,  acting  as  waiter,  she  ex- 
claimed :  "  My !  dat  looks  good.  I  know  Mis' 
Dallas  made  dat  her  ve'y  own  se'f." 


Her  Illness  151 

"  "What  is  it  ?  "  May  asked,  bringing  Silence 
over  to  see. 

"  Two  o'  dem  Charley  Rushes,"  replied  Bubbles. 
"  Yuh  kin  eat  dose,  Miss  May,  dey  is  as  sof '  as 
anythin',  dey  jes'  nothin'  but  sponge  cake  an' 
whup  cream." 

"  Yes,  I  can  eat  those.  Mamma  gave  me  some 
the  other  day,  but  you  must  have  some,  too.  Bub- 
bles." 

"No,  miss,  I  ain'  gwine  tek  none.  I  hed  da 
scrapins  o'  de  pans  dis  mawin',  and  reckon  I'll  git 
some  o'  dish  yer  to-morrer." 

"  WeU,  then,  go  down  in  the  kitchen  and  ask 
Martha  to  give  you  something ;  tell  her  I  say  so ; 
that  we  are  traveling.  You  see  we  are  on  our 
way  back  now.  Bubbles,  and  we  want  something 
for  the  dining  car."  ^^ 

Bubbles  disappeared  and  soon  came  back  with 
a  large  slice  of  bread  and  molasses,  which  she 
proceeded  to  devour  with  great  satisfaction,  while 
May  managed  by  slow  degrees  to  despatch  one 
Charlotte  Busse. 

The  next  day  Eleanor  came  dancing  under  the 
window.     It  was  a  warm  mornirig,  and  since  May 


152  Mistress  May 

was  better,  she  could  have  the  window  open. 
"May,  May,"  she  cried,  "papa  and  Rock  are 
going  to  put  up  a  telephone  for  us.  Won't  that 
be  fine  ?  Then  we  can  talk  back  and  forth  from 
my  room  to  yours  any  time  we  want  to." 

May  agreed  that  it  was  very  fine,  and  Mr.  Dal- 
las soon  appeared  at  her  door. 

"  I  was  told  to  come  up,"  he  said.  "  It  seems  you 
have  grown  very  fat  since  I  saw  you,  Miss  May." 

"Please  don't  make  me  laugh,  Mr.  Dallas," 
May  begged.     "  It  does  hurt  so  to  laugh." 

"Very  well,  I  will  be  very  sober,"  he  replied. 
"  I  will  go  right  to  work  and  put  up  this  talking 
machine.  Where  do  you  want  it  ?  Over  here  by 
the  window '? " 

"  Is  that  where  Eleanor  has  hers  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"Well,  that's  where  I'll  have  my  end  of  it." 
She  watched  with  gieat  interest  the  setting  up  of 
the  little  machine,  and  when  it  was  ready  Mr. 
Dallas  told  her  that  Eleanor  was  waiting  to  hear 
the  first  message. 

So  May  turned  the  knob  which  rang  a  little 
bell,  and  cried :  " Hallo,  Eleanor! " 


Her  Ulness  153 

"  Hallo !  "  came  faintly  back. 

"Isn't  this  fine?" 

"Yes,  isn't  it?" 

"  How  are  you  ?  " 

"  I'm  well,  how  are  you  ?  " 

"  Better,  thank  you.     Good-bye." 

"  Good-bye." 

Mr,  Dallas  stood  by,  a  smile  on  his  face.  It 
did  not  seem  a  very  important  conversation,  but 
before  the  day  was  over  the  girls  had  used  their 
telephone  many  times,  and  it  served  to  amuse  and 
entertain  them  both  long  after  May  was  well. 


HER  SCHCX)L-DAYS 


CHAPTER  DC 
Her  School-days 

By  the  time  school  had  opened  May  was  quite 
well  again  and  ready  to  start  off  with  Eleanor. 
There  was  a  new  teacher  this  year,  for  Miss 
Eeese,  who  had  taught  the  school  for  several 
years,  was  married,  and  the  children  were  all 
alert  to  see  who  was  to  take  her  place. 

"I  did  like  Miss  Eeese  so  much,"  sighed 
Eleanor,  "  but  I  am  so  glad  she  is  married  to  Dr. 
Sullivan,  because  I  am  very,  very  fond  of  him.  I 
don't  know  Miss  Ellis  at  all,  and  it  takes  a  long 
time  to  get  used  to  anyone  new." 

It  was,  however,  a  foi-tunate  thing  for  May  that 
Eleanor  was  her  good  friend,  for  she  did  not  have 
to  enter  the  school  an  entire  stranger  to  the  girls, 
and,  moreover,  the  others  were  quite  as  uncertain 
of  the  teacher  as  she  was  herself. 

It  was  not  very  comfortable  for  MisB  Ellis  to 
feel  twenty  pairs  of  critical  eyes  fixed  upon  her, 

157 


158  Mistress  May 

and  to  know  that  twenty  tongues  would  soon  dis- 
cuss her  from  the  way  she  arranged  her  hair  to 
the  way  she  tied  her  shoes,  but  she  took  her 
place  in  a  grave  and  dignified  manner  that  first 
morning,  and  everything  ran  smoothly.  May  was 
a  bright  scholar,  and  was  in  the  same  classes  as 
Eleanor,  though  the  latter  was  a  year  older. 
Olive  Murdoch,  too,  was  very  studious  and  gener- 
ally was  in  the  lead.  She  was  quite  ready  now  to 
take  her  place  as  the  model  of  the  school,  and  as- 
sumed a  little  air  of  importance  that  was  not  lost 
upon  May. 

Miss  Ellis  examined  the  girls  one  by  one,  and 
to  Olive's  surprise  she  found  May  assigned  to  the 
same  grade  as  herself.  "  That  little  thing !  "  she 
said  to  Janet  Forrester,  her  special  friend,  "  why, 
she  can't  keep  up  with  us.  I'll  soon  show  her 
that." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  Janet,  "  Miss  Ellis  is  a  new 
teacher,  and  doesn't  know,  at  first.  She  will  put 
her  back  as  soon  as  she  finds  out." 

This  reached  May's  ears,  and  put  her  on  her 
mettle.  She  would  study,  and  if  there  was  any 
virtue  in  application  she  would  not  be  put  back. 


Her  School-days  159 

So  from  tlie  first  she  worked  away  industriouslj 
and  was  always  well  prepared. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  do  it,"  Eleanor  said  to 
her.  "I  do  manage  to  keep  up,  but  you  are 
ahead  of  me  in  some  things."  She  looked  at 
May  admiringly.  It  was  well  to  have  one's  best 
friend  such  a  good  student  if  one  could  not  be 
herself. 

Under  Miss  Ellis'  teaching  the  school  was 
divided  into  more  classes  than  Miss  Reese  had 
found  advisable,  and  Miss  Ellis  herself  soon  found 
that  it  would  be  better  to  re-arrange  ii  She 
watched  the  girls  very  carefully  and  was  very 
strict,  so  that  she  might  be  sure  of  making  no  mis- 
takes. She  was  a  nervous,  conscientious  girl, 
not  so  full  of  life,  and  a  little  sadder  and  sterner 
than  Miss  Reese,  so  that  though  the  children 
stood  more  in  awe  of  her,  they  did  not  find  her  so 
lovable.  She  was  a  stranger,  too,  and  in  conse- 
quence they  felt  less  at  home  with  her  than  with 
Miss  Reese,  who  lived  in  the  town. 

May's  mother  had  said  to  her  :  "  Remember, 
daughter,  that  Miss  Ellis  is  a  stranger  and  should 
receive    every    consideration.      Tou  must  always 


i6o  Mistress  May 

ixj  to  think  how  you  would  feel  under  the  same 
circumstances. ' ' 

"  I'm  a  stranger,  too,"  May  returned,  "  and  I 
know  just  how  she  does  feel.  I  am  going  to  be 
as  good  as  gold,  mamma,  and  I  will  study  hard. 
You  will  help  me,  won't  you  ?  " 

"I  will,  indeed."  And  because  of  this  help, 
May  was  always  able  to  go  to  school  with  her 
lessons  well  in  her  mind,  and  could  recite  them 
with  perfect  confidence. 

Nevertheless,  there  were  many  temptations  to 
slight  them,  and  one  Saturday  in  particular.  May 
almost  made  up  her  mind  to  leave  a  certain  study 
only  half  prepared.  Eleanor  came  in  with  the 
news  that  Mr.  Snyder  had  invited  them  all  out  to 
go  nutting,  and  was  to  send  his  wagon  in  for  as 
many  of  Miss  Ellis'  scholars  as  could  go. 

May  looked  at  the  book  she  held  in  her  hand 
as  Eleanor  vgtood  telling  her  of  the  frolic.  "  Oh, 
dear,  if  I  had  only  studied  this  yesterday  instead 
of  leaving  it  till  to-day,"  she  said.  "  I  ought  to 
have  done  it,  but,  you  know,  we  got  so  interest.ed 
playing  that  I  said  I  could  easily  put  it  off  till 
to-day,    for    I    thought    then    I    was    going    to 


Her  School-days  i6i 

have  plenty  of  time.  Wliat  did  you  do  about 
yours  ?  " 

"  Oh,  you  know  mine  is  eas^j.  I  am  not  up  to 
you  in  that  book,  and  besides,  we  are  doing  some 
of  the  work  we  had  last  year." 

May  sighed.  For  a  moment  she  was  tempted 
to  set  the  work  aside.  "I'd  only  be  put  back 
with  Eleanor,"  she  thought,  "  if  I  did  miss,  and  it 
wouldn't  be  any  disgrace.  I  do  want  awfully  to 
go,"  she  said. 

"Oh,  then  come  along.  What  is  the  use  of 
bothering  over  the  old  lessons,  anyhow  ?  You  are 
way  ahead  of  the  other  girls  of  your  age,  and  it 
won't  make  any  difference  if  you  do  miss  this 
once,  and  maybe  she  won't  put  you  back,"  it  being 
perfectly  understood  that  the  she  was  Miss  Ellis. 

May  turned  over  the  pages  of  her  book.  "  Are 
you  going  to  be  gone  all  day  ?  " 

"  All  day.  Won't  it  be  fun  ?  We're  going  to 
have  a  real  country  dinner,  a  sort  of  picnic 
dinner,  Mr.  Snyder  says,  doughnuts,  and  sand- 
wiches and  pie  and  apples  and  such  things." 

"Oh,  dear,"  again  sighed  May.  "Isn't  it 
dreadful  when  your  conscience  says   *  Stay '  and 


1 62  Mistress  May 

your's  want  to  says  '  Go '  ?  I'll  have  to  stay, 
Eleanor.  Please,  please,  don't  beg  me  any  more, 
for  I  am  just  holding  myself,  and  I  almost  can't 
help  going." 

"  I  am  so  very,  very  sorry,"  said  Eleanor,  kiss- 
ing her.  "  I'm  going  to  tell  Mr.  Snyder  just  why 
you  didn't  come,  and  I  will  bring  you  half  my 
nuts.  We  are  going  to  take  Jack,  anyhow.  I 
wish  Rock  were  here  to  go,"  for  Eock  had  gone 
home  the  week  when  his  own  school  began. 
"  Good-bye,  you  dear  thing,"  said  Eleanor,  as  she 
ran  off,  "  I  hate  to  leave  you  here." 

May  watched  her  disappear,  heard  Jack's  shout 
of  delight,  saw  the  wagon  drive  up,  and  listened 
to  the  children  all  chattering  and  laughing  as  they 
made  room  for  the  two  additions  to  the  crowd ; 
then  she  took  up  her  book,  but  the  tears  would 
splash  down.  She  felt  so  lonely ;  all  day  long 
she  would  be  obliged  to  wander  around  by  her- 
self, for,  even  after  the  lessons  were  learned,  she 
would  have  no  one  to  play  with  her,  and  it  would 
be  a  dreary  afternoon. 

She  tried  to  put  her  mind  upon  her  lesson,  but 
her  thoughts  would  go  wandering  off  to  the  woods. 


Hei*  School-days  163 

Lem,  Mr.  Snyder's  hired  man,  was  driving ;  she 
liad  seen  liis  good  honest  face  there  in  the  front  of 
the  wagon-  She  could  hear  him  say:  "Get  up, 
Pete!  G'lang,  Morg!"  She  could  hear  the 
laughter  and  fun,  and  could  see  them  all,  in  her 
mind's  eye,  running  over  the  leaf-covered  gi'ound. 
She  put  her  head  down  and  fairly  sobbed. 

But  presently  she  felt  her  mother's  face  close 
to  hers.  "Why,  my  little  girl,  did  you  want  to 
go  so  very,  very  much?  Couldn't  the  lessons 
have  waited?  You  might  have  done  them  this 
evening,  although  I  suppose  you  would  have  been 
too  tired ;  or  you  might  have  gotten  up  early 
Monday  morning,  and  perhaps  have  prepared 
them  in  time." 

"Perhaps  I  could  have,"  May  returned,  wist- 
fully, and  looking  with  wet  eyes  at  the  book ;  "  but 
it  is  really  a  very  hard  lesson,  and  it  will  take  me 
ever  and  ever  so  long  to  learn  it.  Besides,  you 
know,  you  and  papa  will  be  out  this  evening  and  I 
couldn't  have  you  to  help  me." 

"  True,  I  had  forgotten  that.  Well,  I  can  help 
you  now.  I  will  leave  my  door  open  all  morning, 
for  I   shall  be  in  my  room  sewing,  and  all  yoi^ 


164  Mistress  May 

liave  to  do  is  to  ruu  in  whenever  jou  come  to  a 
hard  part," 

"I  wouldn't  mind  so  much,"  Maj  told  her,  "but 
I  shall  be  alone  all  day,  for  there  won't  be  a  soul 
for  me  to  plaj  with." 

"  There  is  Rosy." 

"  She  is  so  little,  and  she  can't  plaj  as  I  like 
to." 

"Perhaps  we  can  find  something  pleasant  to 
do,  after  a  while.  Often  when  we  ai-e  not  looking 
for  a  pleasure  it  comes,  and  you  don't  know  yet 
how  the  day  will  tui-n  out.  So,  cheer  up,  and 
work  away." 

May  bent  over  her  book  with  better  heart,  and 
did  indeed  find  many  hard  knots  to  be  picked  out, 
but  her  mother  could  explain  very  clearly,  and 
was  always  exceedingly  patient,  so  after  a  time 
the  lesson  was  conquered. 

"  Now  the  others,"  said  Mrs.  Garland.  "  We'll 
get  them  all  done  up  in  a  jifff,  and  then  you  will 
be  free.  It  is  eleven  o'clock  now.  You  certainly 
,did  have  a  real  tug  with  those  examples." 

"The  rest  aren't  so  hard,"  May  told  her.  "I 
-.think  I  .can  easily  get  them  by  myself."     She  set 


Her  School-days  165 

to  work  valiantly,  but  in  a  short  time  her  mother 
heard  an  exclamation,  "  Oh,  mj !  " 

"  What  is  it,  dear  ?  "  came  from  Mrs.  Garland's 
room. 

"Why,  mamma,  this  is  awfully  hard,  and  we 
all  thought  it  was  so  easy.  I'll  have  to  get  you 
to  lend  me  your  dear  wise  head  again,  mamma." 
She  came  in  and  stood  by  her  mother's  side  and 
softly  patted  her  cheek. 

"  This  isn't  so  easy  for  a  little  girl,"  said  her 
mother,  as  she  took  the  book  and  looked  over  the 
page,  "  but  I  think  we  can  conquer  it.  Suppose 
you  sit  right  down  here  by  me,  and  we'll  go  over 
it  together." 

This  May  did,  and  at  last  the  book  was  shut 
with  a  snap.  "  There,  that's  done.  I  understand 
it  perfectly,  mamma.  You  are  a  dear  to  help 
me.  Do  you  know  some  of  the  girls  never  get 
a  bit  of  help  at  home,  and  I  don't  see  how  they 
get  along  without.  It's  lovely  to  have  a  mamma 
who  knows  so  much.  Oh,  there^s  something 
stopped  at  the  door.  I  hear  wheels."  She  went 
to  the  window.  "Mamma,"  she  cried,  "it's  Mr. 
Snyder,    it's   Mr.    Snyder!     Do   you   believe   he 


1 66  Mistress  May- 

could  have  come  for  me  ?     Oli,  may  I  go  if  he 
wants  me  to?" 

"  Why,  of  course  you  may,  and  I  hope  that  is 
what  he  has  come  for.  It  is  just  twelve  o'clock, 
so  the  day  is  but  half  gone." 

May  ran  to  the  stairs  in  time  to  hear  Mr,  Sny- 
der's hearty  voice  say  :  "  Where's  little  May  ?  I'd 
like  a  word  with  her  ma." 

"  Here  I  am  !  Here  I  am !  "  cried  May.  "  Come, 
mamma,"  and  she  ran  down-stairs  as  fast  as  she 
could  scamj)er. 

"Heigho,  little  one!"  came  from  Mr.  Snyder, 
standing  in  the  doorwaj'.  "  Got  to  keep  an  eye 
on  my  horse ;  he  is  one  of  your  regular  goers, 
and  won't  stand  long.     Ma  home  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Snyder,  she  is  coming  right  away." 

"  Reckon  she'll  let  me  take  you  back  with  me  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  am  sure  she  will." 

"  Then  huiTy  up.  We  can  make  it  by  dinner- 
time, for  Mrs.  Snyder  said  she'd  not  have  every- 
thing ready  before  one  o'clock,  and  seeing  as  yoti 
folks  in  town  don't  get  your  dinners  as  early  as 
we  do,  I  reckon  that's  time  enough.  Run,  get 
your  hat.     Good  morning,  Mrs.   Garland,  you'll 


Her  School-days  167 

let  me  take  this  young  lady  back  with  me,  won't 
you  ?  " 

"  I  shall  be  delighted  to  let  her  go.  I  hope 
you  didn't  make  this  trip  especially  for  her." 

"Well,  not  altogether.  I  sent  Lem  in  this 
morning,  but  he's  a  dumb  crittur  about  some 
things,  always  is  forgetting  something,  and  he  had 
his  head  so  full  of  bringing  out  the  load  of  chil- 
dren that  he  couldn't  think  of  anything  else.  So, 
as  there  was  a  little  matter  I  wanted  attended  to, 
I  thought  I  might  as  well  come  in  myself  and 
pick  up  your  little  gal  on  the  way  out."  He  did 
not  say  that  the  errand  might  easily  have  been 
put  offi"  "Them  lessons  learned?"  he  asked  as 
May  appeared. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Snyder,  but  I  only  finished  them  a 
little  while  ago." 

"  Then  I'm  in  the  nick  of  time.  We'll  make  it 
easy  in  an  hour,  with  this  horse  and  the  light 
buggy.  Duke  is  a  Jim  Dandy  for  getting  over 
the  ground." 

May,  with  great  alacrity,  settled  herself  in  the 
buggy,  and  they  set  off  at  a  pace  which  clearly 
showed  that  they  would  soon  get  to  the  farmhouse. 


1 68  Mistress  May 

Eleanor  had  been  as  good  as  lier  word,  and  liad 
gone  to  Mr.  Snyder  at  the  first  opportunity. 
"May  is  as  sorrj^  as  can  be  that  she  could 
not  come,"  she  told  the  good  man,  "but  she 
would  stay  and  study  her  lessons.  I  think  she 
is  very  good  to  do  it.  Not  another  girl  has 
stayed  for  tliat,  and  she  does  so  love  to  come  out 
here." 

"Pshaw!  too  bad,"  Mr.  Snyder  had  replied. 
"I'd  rather  have  you  and  her  than  the  whole 
posse.  What  time  do  you  reckon  she'll  get 
through  ?     It  won't  take  all  day,  will  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  if  she  goes  right  to  work  I  should  think 
she  could  get  through  in  a  couple  of  hours." 

Mr.  Snyder  nodded  and  looked  at  his  watch. 
"  Don't  say  nothing  to  the  rest,"  he  said.  "  I 
reckon  you  all  can  get  along  without  me  for  a 
while ;  if  you  want  anything,  ask  Mrs.  Snyder  or 
Lem.     I  am  going  to  harness  up  Duke." 

"  Oh,  do  you  mean  to  drive  in  and  get  May, 
Mr.  Snyder.     Do  you  really  ?  " 

"  That's  about  the  size  of  it.  I'll  get  mother  to 
put  off  dinner  a  little,  and  Duke  will  bring  us  out 
in  a  jiff^." 


Her  School-days  169 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Snyder,  you  are  a  darling !  I  coTild. 
liug  you  for  that" 

"  I  don't  see  anything  in  the  way  of  it,"  Mr. 
Snyder  had  replied,  and,  forthwith,  Eleanor  had, 
thrown  her  arms  around  his  neck  and  had  given 
liim  almost  as  tight  a  hug  as  he  did  her. 

It  was  just  one  o'clock  when  Eleanor,  who  was 
on  the  lookout,  saw  May's  red  jacket  in  the  dis- 
tance. "  Here  she  comes,"  she  sang  out.  "  There 
is  a  horse  and  buggy  coming  as  fast  as  can  be, 
and  I  know  it  is  Mr.  Snyder  and  May.  It's 
May,  Jack.     Isn't  that  lovely  ?  " 

Jack  danced  up  and  down.  "  That's  bang  up  !  " 
he  cried.  He  had  been  quite  distressed  that  his 
sister  was  to  lose  all  this  fun,  and  now,  with 
Eleanor,  he  ran  to  the  gate,  for  the  horse  and 
buggy  had  turned  into  the  lane  and  was  coming 
nearer  and  nearer  at  a  spanking  pace.  Just  as  it 
drew  up  the  dinner-bell  rang  loudly  and  the  chil- 
dren came  trooping  from  every  direction.  Then 
such  a  good  time  as  they  did  have,  and  how  the 
piles  of  sandwiches  and  cold  chicken  and  biscuits 
and  turnovers  and  doughnuts  disappeared.  It 
kept  Mrs.  Wills  and  Mrs.  Snyder  both  busy  sup- 


170  Mistress  May 

plying  the  empty  plates,  while  Mr.  Suycler  made 
merry  with  them  all.  May  on  one  side  and 
Eleanor  on  the  other,  pulled  wish-bones  with  him, 
and  counted  apple  seeds  for  him,  and  laughed  at, 
his  Jokes,  so  that  he  declared  he  had  not  had  such 
a  good  time  "  in  a  coon's  age." 

May  thought  she  ought  to  tell  the  girls  how 
hard  the  lessons  were,  so  she  said  to  those  in  her 
special  class  :  "  We  have  such  hard,  hard  lessons 
for  Monday.     Hare  you  all  studied  them '?  " 

"  No,  we  haven't,"  they  exclaimed,  with  one  ac- 
cord, and  Olive  added  with  a  little  toss  of  her 
head :  "  Probably  they  do  seem  hard  to  you. 
The  rest  of  us  don't  have  to  break  our  necks  try- 
ing to  keep  up  with  a  class  too  far  ahead  for  us." 

May  bit  her  lip  and  turned  away.  "  That's  all 
the  thanks  I  got,"  she  said  to  Eleanor  afterward. 
But  this  did  not  interfere  with  her  fun,  and  there 
was  probably  not  a  girl  who  enjoyed  herself  so 
much  or  who  carried  home  her  store  of  nuts  with 
a  better  feeling  of  satisfaction. 

It  was  a  very  tired,  sleepy  crowd  which  reached 
the  town  about  dark,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  not 
one  of  them  was  able  to  study  a  lesson  that  night. 


Her  School-days  171 

"  I  shall  liave  to  learn  mine  on  Monday  morn- 
ing," said  Olive,  "I  am  so  sleepy  tliat  I  can't 
keep  my  eyes  open.  Will  you  waken  me  early, 
mamma  ?  " 

"  You  should  be  able  to  waken  yourself,"  Mrs. 
Murdocli  replied.  "  Set  the  alarm.  I  cannot  be 
disturbed  early,  it  always  gives  me  headache." 

So  Olive  set  the  clock,  heard  it  go  off  with  a 
whirr  at  sis,  but  was  so  sleepy  that  she  turned 
over  for  another  forty  winks,  and  at  last  woke  with 
a  start  to  find  it  was  nearly  breakfast  time,  and 
when  she  could,  at  last,  look  at  her  lessons  she  rea^ 
ized  that  they  were,  as  May  had  said,  very  hard. 

She  was  rather  taken  aback,  therefore,  when 
she  went  to  school,  to  hear  Miss  Ellis  say  :  '- 1 
have  purposely  given  you  hard  lessons,  for  to-day, 
girls,  because  I  want  to  give  you  a  little  examina- 
tion this  morning,  principally  upon  the  day's 
lessons,  and  I  shall  then  reorganize  the  classes, 
making  but  two  of  the  three  which  now  contain 
the  smallest  number  of  gii'ls.  Those  who  succeed 
in  passing  the  examination  will  go  in  the  higher 
class,  and  those  who  fail  will  have  to  be  put  back 
into  the  lower  one." 


172  Mistress  May 

The  girls  looked  at  eacli  other  in  consternation, 
"  She  might  have  told  us,"  they  grumbled. 

Miss  Ellis  heard  this.  "  I  purposely  did  not 
tell  you,  for  I  want  to  learn  who  are  the  really 
diligent  pupils,  and  who  are  not.  A  lesson 
specially  prepared  for  examination  would  give  me 
no  evidence  of  the  general  application  of  the 
scholar,  and  I  specially  want  to  learn  who  are  the 
conscientious  students,  who  do  not  slight  any  of 
their  work." 

So  the  examination  went  on.  Every  girl  in 
May's  class,  except  herself,  failed,  and  all  were 
put  back,  while  she  triumphantly  took  her  place 
Avith  the  older  girlf 

Miss  Ellis  looked  at  her  with  a  faint  smile. 
"You  Eire  the  youngest  of  them  all,"  she  said, 
"and  I  hardly  think  you  can  keep  up  with  girls 
so  much  older  than  yourself.  Do  you  think  you 
can  ?  " 

"  I  would  like  to  try,  Miss  Ellis." 

Miss  Ellis  reflected.  "  To  be  sure,  the  girls  are 
reviewing  just  now,  and  you  seem  to  know  your 
subject  so  well,  that  perhaps  you  can  go  on ;  but  if 
you  find  it  too  hard,  you  must  not  mind  going 


Her  School-days  173 

back,  for  you  would   still  be  doing  all  that  could 
possibly  be  expected  of  a  little  gii-1  of  your  age." 

So  May  was  promoted,  and  it  would  not  have 
been  human  if  she  had  not  cast  a  triumphant 
glance  at  Olive,  who  was  angry  and  sullen  over 
her  defeat,  and,  from  this  time  out,  sought  to 
annoy  Miss  Ellis  in  every  way  that  she  possibly 
could.  In  this  she  was  aided  and  abetted  by 
Janet  Forrester,  who  was  continually  talking 
about  partiality,  and  of  girls  so  smart  that  they 
didn't  know  where  they  belonged.  Miss  Ellis 
may  not  have  been  altogether  fair  in  her  methods, 
but  she  thought  she  was  giving  them  all  a  chance, 
and  certainly,  in  this  case,  it  was  not  May  who  did 
not  deserve  her  promotion. 


HER  VISIT 


CHAPTER  X 
Her  Visit 

One  day  just  before  Thanksgiving,  May  came 
home  from  school  and  found  her  mother  with  a 
letter  in  her  hand.  "  I  have  an  invitation  for  you, 
May,"  she  said. 

May  threw  down  her  books.  "Oh,  mamma, 
who  sent  it?     Is  it  a  party?  " 

"  No,  it  is  from  your  grandma.  She  wants  to 
know  if  you  can  come  spend  Thanksgiving  with 
her.  You  know,  we  have  invited  a  friend  of  your 
papa's  here  to  spend  the  day,  and  I  think  it  is  al- 
most too  much  of  an  undertaking  to  go  so  far  just 
for  one  day,  anyhow ;  but  as  your  Uncle  Rob  will 
not  be  at  home  this  year,  there  will  not  be  any 
one  to  make  it  seem  like  a  holiday  for  grandpa 
and  grandma." 

"  And  may  I  go  ?  " 

"  Do  you  want  to  ?  " 

177 


178  Mistress  May 

"  Of  course  I  do,  mamma,  but  I  would  like  to 
be  here,  too." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  cannot  do  both,"  her  mother 
replied,  smiling,  "  and  so  you  must  make  up  your 
mind  which  you  will  take." 

May  pondered  over  the  question  for  a  few  min- 
utes. "I  think  I  will  go,  mamma,  for  you  have 
two  children  left,  and  grandpa  and  grandma  will 
be  so  lonely  without  any  one." 

"  That  is  as  I  hoped  you  would  decide,  and  I 
am  sure  your  papa  will  consent  if  we  can  find 
some  one  to  go  as  far  as  the  city  with  you." 

"  Can't  papa  take  me  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  not.  However,  we  will  see.  If 
you  are  really  going,  we  will  have  to  have  Miss 
Jewett  here  to  sew  for  you." 

"  Oh,  and  will  you  get  me  a  new  frock,  mamma  ?  " 

"  Yes,  perhaps  two  of  them.  You  will  have  to 
have  them  anyhow,  and  I  can  get  them  as  well 
now  as  later.  You  have  outgrown  all  your  last 
winter's  frocks,  and  you  really  have  nothing  that 
will  do  to  take  away  from  home." 

"  I  am  glad,"  May  retured.  "  I  do  like  to  have 
new  clothes." 


Her  Visit  179 

So,  when  it  was  decided  tliat  slie  was  really  to 
go,  she  and  her  mother  went  down  town  to  make 
these  important  purchases.  There  were  only  two 
or  three  dry-goods  shops  of  any  importance  in  the 
town,  and,  at  both  of  these,  May  was  now  well 
known.  She  liked  very  much  to  go  to  them  with 
her  mother,  for  the  clerks  always  consulted  her 
and  talked  to  her  pleasantly.  "  They  are  not  a 
bit  like  they  are  in  the  city,"  she  said  to  her 
mother,  "  for  no  one  takes  any  notice  of  you  there, 
and  here  they  know  all  about  you." 

"  Some  persons  don't  consider  that  an  advan- 
tage," her  mother  returned,  "  but  I  must  say,  that 
I  do  not  mind  the  being  a  big  frog  in  a  little 
puddle." 

May  was  not  quite  sure  that  she  undersjood 
just  what  her  mother  meant,  but  she  did  know 
that  she  liked  to  sit  perched  upon  a  high  stool 
and  watch  her  mother  select  materials.  She 
watched  with  great  interest  as  Mr.  Campbell  un- 
rolled pieces  of  goods. 

A  pretty  challie  with  rosebuds  scattered  over  a 
white  ground  was  the  first  choice.  May  thought 
this  the  most  beautiful  thing  she  had  ever  seen. 


i8o  Mistress  May 

"  You  will  hardly  need  it  now,"  her  mother  told 
her,  "  but  there  will  be  occasion  later  on  when  you 
will  want  to  wear  it,  and  I  may  as  well  get  it  now, 
while  I  can,  for  it  may  be  gone  soon." 

Then  came  a  red  cashmere,  and  last,  a  pretty 
bright  plaid.  This  particularly  pleased  May.  "  I 
like  that  one  so  much  the  best,"  she  told  her 
mother.     "  May  I  have  that  ?  " 

"Yes.  It  is  my  choice,  too,  and  will  make 
you  a  nice  serviceable  frock.  Now  we  will  go 
to  Miss  Mann's  and  see  about  a  hat."  This, 
too,  was  a  matter  of  much  discussion,  and  at 
last,  a  simple  affair  with  bunches  of  ribbon  to 
trim  it  with,  was  chosen,  and  May  went  home  well 
satisfied. 

Eleanor  took  much  interest  in  all  this,  and 
when  the  last  article  was  laid  in  May's  trunk,  she 
was  there  to  see  the  packing  completed.  "You 
will  come  over  and  visit  Pinky  and  Pat,  won't 
you  ?  "  said  May,  "  and  Snap,  too.  They  will  all 
miss  me,  I  know.  I  wish  you  were  going, 
Eleanor." 

"  I  wish  so,  too ; "  Eleanor  turned  her  head  aside 
to  hide  a  laugh. 


Her  Visit  i8i 

"Just  think,  this  time  to-morrow  I  shall  be 
there,"  said  May. 

"  We  are  going  by  the  eight  o'clock  train,  you 
know.  Isn't  it  fine  that  Miss  Ellis  can  take  me  ? 
She  is  going  to  the  city  to  do  some  shopping  and 
to  see  some  friends,  and  it  just  happened  right." 

"  I'll  be  over  to-morrow  morning  by  the  time 
you  are  ready  to  go,"  Eleanor  said,  as  she  went 
off.     "  Don't  you  dare  to  start  till  I  come." 

"  I  won't,"  May  promised.  What  was  her  sur- 
prise the  next  morning  when  Eleanor  appeared  to 
see  her  equipped  for  traveling. 

"Why,  Eleanor,"  she  exclaimed,  "where  are 
you  going?" 

"  I  am  going  to  the  city,  too.  I  am  going  to 
stay  with  Aunt  Dora  for  the  holidays.  Isn't  it 
lovely  ?  I  only  knew  it  day  before  yesterday,  and 
I  could  hardly  keep  from  telling  you.  I  thought 
it  would  be  such  a  nice  surprise.  Rock  and  Uncle 
Heath  will  meet  me.  Mamma  had  to  hurry  so  to 
get  me  ready,  for  Miss  Jewett  was  sewing  for  you, 
but  she  managed,  and  she  is  going  to  send  what 
isn't  finished.  I  shall  not  need  such  a  great  deal 
for  only  five  days,  you  know." 


1 82  Mistress  May 

"I  am  so  glad  you  are  going,"  May  told  her, 
"  thougli  I  sliall  only  liave  you  on  the  train  going 
to  tlie  city." 

"  I  wisli  you  could  come  up  to  Uncle  Heatli's 
with,  me  and  stay  till  to-morrow." 

"Oh,  I  couldn't,  because  papa  sent  a  telegi'am 
to  grandma  to  tell  her  that  I  would  be  up  on  the 
one  o'clock  train,  and  she  will  be  there  to  meet 
me.  Miss  Ellis  is  going  to  put  me  on  the  train 
and  tell  the  conductor  to  be  sure  to  see  that  I  get 
off  at  Lakeside." 

"Aren't  you  afraid  to  go  by  yourseli?  " 

"  No-o,  I  don't  think  so.  I  know  it  so  well,  and 
I  couldn't  make  a  mistake." 

After  many  good-byes  and  kisses  and  embraces, 
they  set  off  and  found  their  journey  much  shorter 
than  it  would  have  seemed  if  either  bad  been  in 
the  company  of  only  an  older  person.  As  the 
cars  pulled  into  the  station,  Eleanor  was  on  the 
lookout  for  her  uncle  and  Rock.  "There  thej 
are,"  she  cried  ;  "  I  see  Uncle  Heath  ;  he  is  com- 
ing through  the  gate." 

"  I  see  Rock,"  exclaimed  May ;  "  h©  is  standing 
there  inside  the  railing." 


Her  Visit  183 

Mr.  Dalla*  soon  caught  siglit  of  his  niece  and 
lifted  her  and  May  do"v\Ti,  then  gave  his  hand  to 
Miss  Ellis.  Eleanor  ran  through  the  gate  and 
was  immediatelj  seized  by  Rock.  "  Come  right 
along,"  he  said ;  "  Mamma  is  at  home  waiting 
for  us." 

'•  I  must  say  good-bye  to  Miss  Ellis  and  May, 
first,"  Eleanor  told  him. 

"Why,  I  didn't  know  May  was  with  you," 
Erock  returned.  "Wouldn't  it  be  jolly  if  she 
could  come,  too."  He  went  over  to  greet  May  and 
to  ui'ge  h^*  to  come  home  with  Eleanor. 

"  I  have  to  take  the  train  for  Lakeside,"  May 
told  him. 

"  But  that  doesn't  go  for  an  hour  or  longer.  I 
will  go  and  get  a  time-table  and  w^e  will  see." 

"  We  could  bring  you  back  in  time,"  Mr.  Dallas 
said. 

May  looked  at  Miss  Ellis  who  shook  her  head. 
"  I  promised  faithfully  that  I  would  see  you  oh 
the  train  myself."  She  looked  at  her  watch. 
"  There  is  an  hour  and  a  half  to  wait,  it  is  true, 
but  we  can  find  some  way  to  pass  the  time.  I 
think  we  would  better  not  run  any  risks." 


1 84  Mistress  May 

"  It  will  keep  you  so  long  from  your  stopping," 
May  said.  "  I  don't  like  to  have  you  wait  all  that 
time,  Miss  Ellis." 

"I  am  in  no  great  hurry.  You  know  I  am 
going  to  be  here  for  several  days,  and  the  shop- 
ping can  wait," 

"  I  think  I  can  be  relied  upon  to  see  that  May 
gets  off  on  time,"  said  Mr.  Dallis,  "  and  I  am  sure 
it  will  be  all  right  if  you  say  to  my  friend,  Gar- 
land, that  you  gave  this  young  lady  ovea-  into  my 
hands.  An  hour  and  a  half  is  a  long  time  for  you 
to  wait." 

Miss  Ellis  thought  the  matter  over,  and  ait  last 
consented  to  leave  May  in  Mr.  Dallas'  charge, 
and  he  saw  her  to  the  car  which  would  take  her 
down  town.  When  he  returned  to  the  children  it 
was  to  say  :  "  Now,  I  tell  you  what  we  will  do  : 
we  will  go  and  get  some  ice  cream ;  I  know  it  is 
never  too  cold  for  chicks  like  you  to  eat  it,  and 
while  you  are  consuming  that  I  will  go  and  get  a 
carriage  and  we  will  take  a  little  drive,  and  get 
back  here  in  time  for  the  train.  That  will  be 
better  than  sitting  in  the  station." 

May  thought  this  a  very  agreeable  platn,  and 


Her  Visit  185 

tkey  all  went  to  the  restaurant  of  the  station, 
where  Mr.  Dallas  left  the  children  to  eat  their  ice 
cream. 

When  he  came  back  he  brought  two  boxes  of 
candy,  one  for  May  and  one  for  Eleanor,  and  then, 
having  finished  their  cream,  they  followed  him  to 
the  side  of  the  station  where  the  cabs  and  car- 
riages stood.  "  Did  you  ever  take  a  ride  in  an 
automobile  ?  "  Mr.  Dallas  asked  May. 

"  No,  I  never  did,"  she  told  him. 

"  Should  you  like  to  ?  " 

"Oh,  yes,  so  much." 

"  Very  well,  then  up  we  go."  He  lifted  her  in, 
and  Eleanor  beside  her,  and  off  they  started. 

Surely  this  was  an  iinexpected  treat.  She 
would  have  this  to  tell  Jack  about.  How  he 
would  enjoy  the  ride.  But  the  pleasure  was  soon 
over,  for  it  was  nearing  the  time  for  her  to  start, 
and  back  they  must  roll  to  the  station.  There 
she  bade  her  friends  good-bye,  and,  after  giving 
strict  charges  to  the  conductor  to  look  after  her, 
Mr.  Dallas  left  her  established  in  a  seat  by  the 
window,  her  box  of  candy  in  her  lap,  and  a  pile  of 
illustrated  papers  by  her  side. 


1 86  Mistress  May 

It  was  not  a  very  long  ride  to  Lakeside,  and 
May  was  promptly  lielped  off  tlie  train  by  tlie  con- 
ductor. "  Yon  are  all  right,  now,"  he  told  her,  as  he 
swung  back  again  upon  the  platform  of  the  car. 

The  little  girl  stood  still  and  looked  around. 
She  was  only  one  of  two  or  three  passengers,  and 
the  others  walked  rapidly  toward  their  several 
destinations.  May  walked  slowly  to  the  waiting- 
room,  for  she  saw  no  one  from  her  grandfather's 
there  on  hand  to  meet  her.  Probably  they  were  a 
little  late.  She  sat  down  and  waited.  The  ticket 
office  was  closed,  and  the  agent  had  gone  to  his 
dinner.  There  was  not  a  soul  anywhere  about 
the  place,  and  the  child  sat  there  patiently  watch- 
ing the  hands  of  the  clock.  At  last  this  became  a 
monotonous  employment,  and  she  concluded  that 
she  would  walk  up  the  road  and  meet  the  carriage, 
which  had  in  some  way  been  detained,  she  was 
sure. 

She  started  bravely  out,  but  her  box  of  candy 
and  her  papers  were  hard  to  carry,  and  she  did 
not  find  it  easy  to  get  along  with  them.  It  was  a 
crisp,  cool  November  day,  and  fortunately  the 
roads  were  in  good  condition,  so  the  little  girl  was 


Her  Visit  187 

able  to  travel  along  at  a  smart  gait,  and  after  hav- 
ing gone  for  about  a  mile,  she  saw  the  familiar 
chimneys  of  her  grandfather's  house  looming  up 
behind  the  trees.  Then  she  saw  some  one  ahead 
of  her  walking  along  toward  the  house.  Surely  it 
was  her  grandfather.  She  hurried  on,  and  pres- 
ently she  caught  sight  of  the  man's  face.  Her 
grandfather  wore  a  full  beard,  and  this  man  had  a 
clean  shaven  face.  May  stood  still  for  a  moment 
in  surprise.  He  was  so  like  and  yet  so  unlike, 
but  she  ran  forward  to  overtake  him,  and  whea 
she  reached  his  side  she  looked  up  at  him  to  say : 
*'  Aren't  you  my  grandpa  ?  " 

The  old  gentleman  paused  in  astonishment. 
"  Why,  daughter,  where  did  you  drop  from  ?  I 
didn't  expect  to  see  you  for  a  couple  of  hours 
yet." 

"  And  I  didn't  know  you  at  first,  grandpa.  I 
thought  you  must  be  some  one  else,  'for  my 
grandpa  has  a  white  beard,'  I  said." 

He  laughed.  "So  he  did  have,  but  he  con- 
cluded to  get  rid  of  it  last  summer,  and  he  rather 
thinks  that  he  will  not  bother  with  it  again.  But 
tell  me,  where  is  your  grandma  ?  " 


1 88  Mistress  May 

"  Why,  isn't  she  here  ?  " 

"  No,  she  expected  that  you  would  meet  her  in 
town,  and  come  out  with  her  on  the  four  o'clock 
train.     Didn't  your  father  get  my  telegram '?  " 

"No,  gTandpa,  I  don't  think  he  did." 

"  What  time  did  you  leave  home  ?  " 

"A  little  Before  eight.  We  took  the  eight 
o'clock  train." 

"  That's  it,  then.  You  just  missed  it,  of  course. 
I  supposed  you  would  not  leave  before  nine,  and 
avoid  the  long  wait  in  the  city." 

•'  I  had  to  come  then,  because  that  was  the  train 
Miss  Ellis  and  Eleanor  were  going  to  take,  and 
papa  and  mamma  wanted  to  have  me  come  with 
them." 

"  I  see.  Well  there's  no  gTeat  harm  done. 
Your  grandma  thought  you  oughtn't  to  come  by 
yourself  even  from  the  city,  and  as  she  had  an  er- 
rand in  town  to-day,  she  thought  you  might  meet 
her  at  the  station  and  come  up  with  her.  I  hope 
your  parents  will  not  worry  because  of  my  tele- 
gram. We  will  drive  to  the  station  at  Lakeside, 
when  we  have  had  dinner,  and  I  will  telegraph 
them  that  you  are  here  safe  and  sound,  and  I  can 


Her  Visit  189 

telephone  to  your  grandma  so  slie  will  not  worrj. 
Did  you  walk  all  tlie  way  from  Lakeside,  you  poor 
little  tot'?" 

"  Yes,  I  ^thought  I  would  walk  till  I  met  you 
coming  in  the  carriage." 

"  Well,  well,  well,  and  nobody  came  at  all  ? 
You  must  have  thought  we  were  neglecting  our 
little  visitor.  Dinner  is  ready,  I  am  sure,  so  come 
right  in,  and  make  yourself  at  home.  I  am  glad 
enough  I  do  not  have  to  eat  my  meal  alone." 

This  pleasant  ending  to  an  anxious  hour  made 
May  very  comfortable,  and  she  sat  down  to  enjoy 
her  dinner,  feeling  that  she  was  glad  she  had 
undertaken  to  come  from  Lakeside  alone.  "  I 
might  have  been  sitting  there  yet,"  she  told  her 
grandfather. 

"  So  you  might,  and  would  have  sat  there  till 
your  grandma  came.  Never  mind,  it  is  all  over 
now."  He  piled  up  her  plate  with  all  the  good 
things  he  could  find,  and  bade  the  "maid  bring  her 
so  many  of  the  freshly  baked  Thanksgiving 
dainties,  that  she  could  not  begin  to  eat  them  all.. 

This  was  a  quiet  old  country  place,  but  May 
loved  it,  and  had  spent  a  part  of  every  summer 


190  Mistress  May 

here  ever  since  she  was  born,  so  that  she  felt  per- 
fectly at  home.  The  little  room  which  she  always 
occupied  v^^as  next  to  her  grandmother's,  and  on 
this  day  it  ^vas  warm  from  a  fire  neT,yly  built  in 
the  v/ood  stove.  May  always  liked  the  smell  of 
the  burning  wood,  and  she  liked  the  queer  closets 
on  each  side  of  the  mantel,  and  the  deej)  windows. 
Everything  was  so  neat  and  so  quiet,  and  she  tip- 
toed about  as  if  it  would  not  do  to  break  in  on 
the  stillness. 

She  ran  down  at  her  grandpa's  call  and  found 
him  ready  with  the  carriage.  "  We  will  go  to  the 
station  first,  and  then  we  will  take  a  little  drive 
and  come  back  that  way  for  your  gTandma,"  he 
told  her.  "  I  have  a  little  business  to  attend  to 
about  a  mile  or  so  up  the  crossroad,  and  it  will 
take  me  just  about  long  enough." 

They  set  off  and  the  short  afternoon  was  nearly 
over  when  they  drew  up  for  a  second  time  by  the 
station.  "There's  the  train  now.  I  hear  it 
whistle,"  May  said. 

"  Then  we  are  just  in  time,  and  I  will  go  around 
to  the  baggage-room  to  get  your  trunk,  while  you 
go  out  and  meet  grandma." 


Her  Visit  191 

May  obeyed,  and  stood  watching  tlie  train  as  it 
came  thundering  up.  In  a  moment  she  saw  a 
dainty  little  old  lady  step  from  it,  and  she  ran 
forward  to  meet  her.  "  Why,  my  little  Maydie," 
her  grandma  cried,  "you  did  forestall  me  this 
time,  didn't  you  ?  I  am  glad  enough  to  see  you 
here   safe  and  sound.     Where  is  your  grandpa  ?  " 

"  He  is  around  seeing  about  my  trunk,  grandma." 

"  Then  we  will  go  and  get  in  the  carriage ;  it  is 
getting  too  cold  to  stand  out  now." 

"Were  you  surprised  to  get  gTandpa's  mes- 
sage ?  "  May  asked. 

"  I  was  greatly  relieved  to  know  you  were  -safe, 
though  we  ought  to  have  thought  that  maybe  you 
would  take  an  early  train." 

They  drove  home  in  the  dusk,  and  found  a 
roaring  fire  on  the  hearth.  It  was  very  co2y,  May 
thought,  and  though  she  had  no  young  compan- 
ions, and  found  it  hard  sometimes  to  keep  still 
when  her  grandpa  was  reading  or  writing,  there 
was  always  some  quiet  sort  of  play  for  her  to  en- 
joy. Grandma  would  play  backgammon  or 
checkers  with  her,  or  would  let  her  have  the 
pieces   of  chess,  so  beautifully  carved,  and   with 


192  Mistress  May 

those  she  could  entei-tain  herself  by  the  hour. 
Then  there  was  a  big  old  book  full  of  colored  pic- 
tures, illustrating  Bible  stories,  and  this  was  not 
less  interesting  that  her  father  had  looked  at  it, 
time  after  time,  when  he  was  a  little  boy. 

Thanksgiving  Day  was  cold  and  dreary,  but 
grandma  had  provided  a  store  of  good  things,  and 
May  gave  a  large  entertainment  to  the  chessmen 
and  a  pair  of  little  dancers,  which  slowly  revolved 
upon  the  sounding-board  of  the  old  piano.  In  the 
evening,  grandma  brought  out  a  stereoscope, 
which  was  something  that  May  always  loved  to 
look  through,  and  they  had  cakes  and  taffy  and 
•nuts  and  cider,  eating  them  by  the  open  fire,  while 
grandma  and  grandpa  told  stories  of  when  they 
were  little. 

So  the  time  passed  very  quickly,  and  it  did  not 
seem  long  before  May  was  saying  good-bye,  and, 
in  a  very  little  while  she  was  at  home  again,  with 
Eleanor  and  Jack,  recounting  her  experiences  and 
hearing  theirs.  Then  came  school  again  with  all 
its  little  interests,  and  its  bothers,  and  Thanks- 
giving holidays  became  a  part  of  the  past,  and 
Christmas  was  the  next  thing  to  expeci 


HER  TEACHER 


CHAPTER  XI 

Her  Teacher 

"I'ts  all  very  well  for  you  to  stand  by,  Miss 
Ellis,"  said  Olive  one  day,  when  May  insisted  that 
the  girls  had  no  right  to  act  badly,  and  make 
themselves  disagreeable  to  their  teacher.  "You 
are  her  pet,  and,  of  course,  you  will  stand  up  for 
her." 

"And  I  don't  care  how  I  act,"  Janet  put  in. 
"  She's  nothing  but  a  school-teacher,  anyway.  She 
has  to  work  for  her  living,  and  who  cares  what 
she  thinks  ?  " 

May  looked  at  Janet  in  amazement.  "  Why,  I 
think  a  teacher  is  next  to  a  minister,"  she  said. 

"  Humph  !  "  Janet  gave  her  head  a  toss.  "  I 
think  you  have  funny  notions.  Td  like  to  see  my 
mother  being  intimate  with  any  one  who  has  to 
work  for  a  living.  She  has  better  friends  .^  i'.n 
that  kind  of  people." 

May  went  home  and  told  her  mother  of  this 

195 


196  Mistress  May 

conversation.  Mrs.  Garland  listened  to  iier 
daughter's  indignant  account.  "  There  are  un- 
fortunately some  persons  who  think  that  way," 
she  remarked.  "  They  may  not  all  express  them- 
selves quite  so  plainly  as  Janet  does,  but  they 
really  think  so,  and  by  those  who  respect  what 
money  cannot  bring — intellect  and  gentility  and 
moral  worth,  such  persons  are  called  snobs.  Miss 
Ellis  is  a  lady  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  I 
hope  my  little  gu'l  will  never,  never  do  anything 
that  will  cause  her  to  think  that  she  is  ill-bred. 
Everything  you  say  or  do  is  a  comment  upon  your 
own  rearing,  and  if  you  were  to  be  snobbish,  per- 
sons would  be  very  likely  to  say  :  '  The  Garlands 
cannot  be  accustomed  to  setting  a  good  example 
to  their  children,  or  they  would  show  that  they 
have  been  well-bred.'  So,  if  you  want  your  par- 
ents to  be  well  thought  of,  you  must  act  accord- 
ingly." 

May  pondered  over  this,  but  had  little  oppor- 
tunity of  showing  her  opinion  one  way  or  the 
other,  for  Janet  and  Olive  avoided  her  and  clung 
together,  while  May  and  Eleanor  did  the  same. 

One  morning  early,  not  long  before  Christmas, 


Her  Teacher  197 

May  arrired  at  school  before  any  one  else  had 
come.  There  had  always  stood  in  the  window 
two  or  three  pretty  flowering  plants  which  some 
of  the  girls  had  given  Miss  Ellis.  When  May 
came  in,  she  saw  that  these  had  been  thrown  down 
and  broken  to  pieces,  and  that  over  Miss  Ellis' 
desk  was  running  a  stream  of  ink,  which  had 
soaked  through  the  crevices  and  was  dripping  into 
the  drawer.  May  was  aghast  at  the  sight,  and 
stood  wondering  how  it  had  occurred,  when  Miss 
Ellis  came  in.  Her  face  wore  an  anxious,  wor- 
ried look  of  late,  but  she  smiled  as  she  saw  who 
it  was  that  had  arrived  so  early.  She  boarded 
not  far  away  from  the  school-room,  which  was  un- 
locked and  kept  in  order  by  the  family  who  lived 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  building. 

"Oh,  Miss  Ellis,"  May  began,  "isn't  this  too 
bad  ?     I  wonder  how  it  happened." 

"  My  dear  little  plants  !  "  Miss  Ellis  exclaimed. 
"  I  am  so  sorry  that  they  are  broken.  I  was  so 
fond  of  them,  and  one  of  them  looked  as  if  it 
might  bloom  by  Christmas." 

"  I  don'i  see  how  it  happened,"  May  repeated. 
"  I  came  y&rj  early,  for  I  left  one  of  my  books, 


198  Mistress  May 

and  I  wanted  to  look  over  tliose  last  examples 
again,  and  when  I  came  in  it  was  just  as  you  see 
it.  Let  me  help  you  to  gather  them  up ;  maybe 
they  are  not  so  much  hurt.  Mr.  Hale  keeps 
flower-pots,  and  I  can  run  down  and  get  some  new 
ones.     Shall  I  ?  " 

"  If  you  will,  my  dear,  I  shall  be  much  obliged." 
May  ran  down  and  returned,  carrying  three 
new  flower-pots.  As  she  entered  the  room,  she 
saw  Miss  Ellis  had  gone  to  her  desk.  She  was 
holding  something  before  her  and  the  tears  were 
running  down  her  cheeks.  "  Oh,  Miss  Ellis  !  " 
May  stopped  short.  She  had  never  seen  her 
teacher  show  so  much  feeling,  and  she  had  always 
thought  of  her  as  rather  a  cold  person.  "  She 
isn't  cosy  and  cuddly  like  Miss  Reese,"  Eleanor 
had  said.  "  There's  a  sort  of  stand-off  way  about 
her."  But  now  May  went  up  shyly  and  put  her 
arm  around  her  teacher's  neck.  "Oh,  Miss 
Ellis,"  she  said,  "  did  the  ink  spoil  anything  ?  " 

"  It  has  spoiled  several  things,  but  nothing  that 
could  not  be  replaced,  except  this."  She  held  out 
a  photograph  of  a  little  girl  somewhat  younger 
than  May.     "  This  picture  is  of  my  one  little  sis- 


Her  Teacher  199 

ter,  who  died  just  after  this  was  taken,  and  it  is 
all  I  have  of  her.  I  used  to  keep  it  in  this  drawer 
here  at  school,  because  it  comforted  me  sometimes 
to  look  at  it,  and  to  feel  that,  because  of  her,  I 
should  try  to  love  all  my  little  scholars.  She 
loved  her  big  sister  so  dearly,  my  little  Evelyn. 
My  mother  died  just  after  my  little  sister  was 
born,  and  she  always  seemed  more  than  a  sister 
to  me.     My  father  died  a  year  after  she  did." 

May's  arm  crept  closer.  Miss  Ellis  had  never 
given  so  much  confidence  to  any  of  her  other 
scholars.  "  And  haven't  you  any  one  else  ?  "  the 
child  asked,  earnestly.  "No  other  sisters  or 
brothers?" 

"  No  others." 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry."  A  little  timid  kiss 
reached  Miss  Ellis'  cheek.  "  Do  you  think  it  is 
really  spoiled  ?  Miss  Ellis,  won't  you  let  me  take 
it  to  papa.  I  remember  that  he  had  a  photograph 
that  something  happened  to,  and  he  took  it  to  a 
man  in  the  city,  and  he  did  something,  I  don't 
know  exactly  what,  but  anyhow,  now  papa  has  a 
lovely  picture.  It  was  one  of  mamma  that  was 
taken  before  she  was  married,  and  papa  liked  it 


200  Mistress  May 

better  than  any  tliat  lie  lias  of  lier.  Maj  I  take 
this  and  ask  him  about  it  ?  " 

"Why,  my  dear,  I  don't  like  to  trouble  your 
father." 

"But  he'd  like  to  do  it.  I  know  he  would. 
Please,  Miss  Ellis,"  And  Miss  Ellis  consented, 
first  carefully  wiping  off  the  ink  and  putting  the 
photograph  in  a  fresh  envelope. 

Presently  there  could  be  heard  the  arriving 
scholars  trooping  up  the  stairs.  Miss  Ellis 
stooped  and  kissed  May  hastily.  "Thank  you, 
dear  child,  you  have  been  a  great  comfort  to  me 
this  morning."  And  May  went  to  her  seat  with  a 
very  warm  feeling  toward  her  teacher.  She  did 
not  remember  having  seen  Miss  Ellis  kiss  any  of 
the  girls,  and  she  felt  that  it  was  truly,  as  her 
teacher  had  said,  that  she  had  been  a  real  comfort. 

No  reference  was  made  to  the  trick  played, 
and  when  the  giiis  came,  in  the  flower-pots  stood 
a-row,  the  ink-stains  were  wiped  away,  and  all  was 
in  order. 

"I'm  so  glad  I  came  early,"  thought  May,  as 
she  caught  Olive  and  Janet  casting  knowing 
glances  at  one  another.     "I  know  thev  did  it.' 


Her  Teacher  201 

She  was  full  of  the  story  of  the  morning's  doings 
when  she  went  home.  "I  do  feel  so  sorry  for 
Miss  Ellis,"  she  told  her  mother.  "  None  of  the 
girls  like  her  as  well  as  they  did  Miss  Reese,  and 
some  of  them  are  not  nice  to  her  at  all.  Olive 
and  Janet  are  perfectly  hateful."  Then  she  told 
of  the  condition  of  affairs  when  she  arrived  in  the 
school-room  that  morning.  "  And  I'm  perfectly 
certain  Olive  and  Janet  did  it,"  she  ended  by 
saying. 

"  You  have  no  right  to  insist  upon  that,"  Mrs. 
Garland  said,  gently.  "  Of  course  you  may  sus- 
pect that  they  did,  but  you  have  no  proof,  and  so 
I  would  tell  no  one  your  suspicions." 

"  Not  even  Eleanor  ?  " 

"  Not  even  Eleanor.  It  is  always  better  to  say 
nothing  at  all,  unless  you  can  say  kind  things  of 
another.  We  will  tell  papa  and  let  it  end  there. 
Now,  I  have  been  thinking  of  a  plan,  I  should 
like  you  to  give  Miss  Ellis  a  Christmas  present, 
for  she  has  been  a  faithful  teacher,  and  has  no 
relatives  and  few  friends  to  make  her  holiday 
pleasures.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  your  papa 
can  have  this  photograph  copied  and  enlarged  a 


202  Mistress  May- 

little,  so  as  to  make  an  ai-tistic  picture.     Wouldn't 
that  be  a  nice  Christmas  gift  for  Miss  Ellis?  " 

"  Oh,  mamma,  perfectly  lovely.  I  am  so  glad 
you  thought  of  it.  I  am  delighted.  Are  you  sure 
it  can  be  done?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am  quite  sure." 

"  "WTiat  else  can  we  do  for  Miss  Ellis  ?  It  must 
be  dreadful  to  have  to  work  hard  and  have  no- 
body to  love  you  when  you  go  home,"  May's  arm 
stole  around  her  mother's  neck,  "  and  have  all  the 
gii'ls  trying  to  make  themselves  hateful  to  you. 
What  will  Miss  Ellis  do  when  the  holidays  come, 
mamma  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  perhaps  she  will  go  to  the  city, 
to  some  of  her  friends  there,  although  I  believe 
she  has  no  very  intimate  ones  nearer  than  New 
York,  somewhere,  in  Buffalo,  I  think,  she  has  an 
aunt  and  cousins,  but  it  would  be  a  long  expen- 
sive joui'ney  for  her  to  take,  so,  no  doubt,  she  will 
remain  where  she  is," 

"  Is  she  very  poor,  mamma  ?  " 

*'  No,  but  she  had  many  expenses  during  the 
long  illness  of  her  father,  and  was  obliged  to  bor- 
row money  to  meet  them.     She  is  trying  to  pay 


Her  Teacher  203 

lier  debt,  and  like  an  honorable  woman,  will  not 
indulge  herself  in  any  luxuries  until  she  has  paid 
what  she  owes." 

"  Mamma."  May  was  twisting  the  string  of 
her  apron  around  her  finger  and  was  very 
thoughtful. 

"Yes,  dear." 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  nice  to  ask  Miss  Ellis  to  come 
here  and  spend  the  holidays  ?  " 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Yes.     Don't  you  ?  " 

"  I  do,  indeed,  and  I  was  hoping  that  you  would 
think  of  that  very  thing,  for  Mrs.  Dallas  and  I 
were  talking  it  over  yesterday,  and  agreed  that 
each  of  us  would  invite  Miss  Ellis  for  a  week's 
visit  during  the  holidays." 

"  I'm  so  glad.  Oh,  mamma,  I  love  you  for  that. 
Won't  you  please  let  her  come  here  for  Christmas 
Day  so  we  can  give  her  the  picture  and  let 
her  hang  up  her  stocking?  Won't  you,  please, 
mamma  ?  " 

Mrs.  Garland  laughed.  "  We'll  see  about  that, 
but  you  mustn't  say  anything  till  it  is  quite 
settled." 


204  Mistress  May 

"No,  I  won't,  but  I'm  just  dying  to.  Please 
aisk  lier  right  away,  mamma.     Can't  you  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  tliink  of  doing  it  to-day,  but  upon  the 
whole,  I  believe  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  do, 
for  I  am  sure  she  is  grieving  over  the  accident  to 
her  picture.  I  think  1  will  wait  till  we  have 
shown  it  to  papa  and  see  what  he  says,  and  then, 
perhaps,  we  can  go  over  and  call  upon  her  this 
evening  and  ask  her  then." 

"I  know  something  I  would  like  better  than 
that." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Why,  write  a  little  note  and  say :  '  Please, 
Miss  Ellis,  won't  you  come  over  and  take  tea  with 
us  this  evening  ? '  and  I'll  take  the  note  and  then 
Mrs.  Dallas  can  come  over  after  tea,  and  I  will 
know  all  about  it  as  soon  as  you  do." 

"  That  is  one  word  for  Miss  Ellis  and  two  for 
yourself,  but  I  think  I  should  like  that  very 
much." 

"  And  I  may  take  the  note  ?  " 

"Yes,  if  you  want  to." 

"Good!  I  will  go  right  away.  Hurry  up, 
mamma,  and  write  it.     I  am  going  to  get  Eleanor 


Her  Teacher  205 

to  go  with  me.  Shall  I  tell  Mrs.  Dallas  that  Miss 
Ellis  is  coming,  and  ask  her  if  she  will  come  over 
after  tea  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  would  be  better  to  wait  till  yon  hear 
what  Miss  Ellis  says,  and  then  you  may  tell  Mrs. 
Dallas,  if  yon  like." 

May  set  off  with  a  very  satisfied  face.  All  her 
feeling  of  loyalty  was  roused,  and  she  said  very 
soberly  to  her  little  friend  :  "  Eleanor,  I  believe 
Miss  Ellis  is  like  a  nut.  She  seems  awfully  hard 
outside,  but  she  is  very  sweet  and  good  inside." 

Eleanor  laughed.  "  That  is  a  funny  idea. 
Wliat  makes  you  say  that '?  " 

"  She  kissed  me  this  morning." 

"  May  Garland !     She  didn't,  did  she  ?  " 

"  She  really  did,  and  Eleanor,  she  had  a  darling 
little  sister  and  she  died.  Wasn't  it  sad?  And 
she  hasn't  any  one  in  the  whole  wide  world  to 
love  her,  unless  we  do,  and  I  am  going  to  love  her 
as  hard  as  I  can.     Say  you  will,  too." 

"Yes,  I  will,  too." 

"I'm  Just  crazy  to  tell  you  something,  but  I 
can't.  At  least,  not  to-day.  Maybe  I  can  to- 
morrow." 


2o6  Mistress  May 

Of  course,  Eleanor  begged  to  be  told  wiiat  it 
was,  but  May  kept  her  word  and  wouldn't  tell. 

They  found  Miss  Ellis  at  home.  Her  face 
looked  very  sad,  and  her  dark  eyes  had  a  mourn- 
ful expression,  but  she  smiled  as  she  saw  the  two 
little  girls,  and  then  she  looked  really  pretty. 

May  handed  her  the  note.  "  Please  say  you 
will  come,"  she  said,  clasping  her  hands  in  her 
eagerness. 

Miss  Ellis  read  the  little  note,  and  said 
brightly :  "  I  shall  be  delighted  to  come,  tell 
your  mother." 

"  And  please  come  early." 

"  No,  don't  go  early."  Eleanor  possessed  her- 
self of  one  of  Miss  Ellis'  hands.  "  Is  it  too  cold 
to  take  a  drive,  dear  Miss  Ellis  ?  Won't  you  go 
with  me,  and  I'll  come  around  with  Spice  in  about 
^fifteen  minutes." 

"  Won't  I  be  rather  a  big  passenger  for  your 
little  pony  cart  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed.  Mamma  often  goes  with  me. 
Spice  is  little,  but  he  is  very  strong,  and  if  you 
don't  mind  his  being  little  he  wont  mind  your 
being  big." 


Her  Teacher  207 

Miss  Ellis  lauglied.  "  Very  well,  then.  With 
such  an  assurance  I  ought  to  be  satisfied." 

"  And  you  will  be  ready  in  a  quarter  of  an. 
hour?" 

"  Yes,  on  the  minute." 

*'  There  now,"  said  Eleanor,  as  they  hastened 
toward  home,  "  I  am  glad  I  thought  of  that,  May, 
because  she'll  have  a  good  appetite  for  her  supper. 
Nothing  makes  you  so  hungry  as  riding  in  the 
cold." 

May  went  home  and  reported,  and  about  dusk 
Miss  Ellis  appeared,  a  fine  color  in  her  usually 
pale  cheeks  and  a  smile  on  her  lips.  She  was 
Yery  bright  and  almost  gay  that  evening,  and 
charmed  the  children  by  singing  and  playing  for 
them.  She  was  a  good  musician  and  had  a  rich 
sweet  voice.  May  watched  eagerly  for  Mrs.  Dal- 
las' appearance.  "I  don't  want  to  go  to  bed," 
she  whispered  to  her,  "  till  I  know  whether  Miss 
Ellis  will  really  come  for  Christmas.  Please,  Mrs. 
Dallas,  let  us  have  her  for  Christmas  Day.  I 
have  a  very  particular  reason  for  wanting  her 
then." 

Mrs.  Dallas  smiled  and  said  that  if  that  were  so 


2o8  Mistress  May 

that  she  would  yield  any  right  she  might  have, 
and  would  begin  the  New  Year  with  Miss  Ellis, 
if  she  were  willing  to  come. 

Miss  Ellis'  lip  trembled  as  May's  eager  eyes 
watched  for  her  answer  to  the  invita,tion.  "  Oh, 
do  come,"  she  begged. 

"  Do  you  really  want  me  so  much  ?  "  she  asked, 
almost  wistfully. 

"  Yes,  so  very,  very  much.     Don't  we,  mamma  ?  " 

"  I  can  think  of  nothing  that  would  make  me 
happier,"  Miss  Ellis  said.  "  Christmas  is  such  a 
sad  day  for  me,  and  to  be  in  a  house  where  there 
are  merry  children  will  be  the  gi'eatest  happiness 
I  could  ask." 

So  it  was  all  settled,  and  May  laid  gi'eat  plans. 
Mr.  Garland  carried  the  photograph  to  the  city 
and  reported  that  it  would  come  out  all  right,  and 
that  the  copy  would  be  ready  in  time.  Eleanor 
and  May  decided  that  the  stockings  must  hold  as 
many  funny  things  as  possible,  and  they  hunted 
the  town  over  for  absurdities,  and  likewise  con- 
trived not  a  few  themselves,  spending  their  Satur- 
days in  the  playhouse,  and  shutting  out  all 
intruders.     Any    one   passing  might  have   heard 


Her  Teacher  209 

frequent  bursts  of  laughter  and  exclamations  of  : 
"  How  ridiculous !  "  or  "  How  funny !  " 

"I  wonder  where  Miss  Ellis  will  spend  her 
Christmas,"  said  Janet  Forrester,  at  recess,  one  day. 

"  I  can  tell  you,"  replied  May ;  "  she  is  going 
to  spend  one-half  with  us  and  one-half  with 
Eleanor  Dallas'  mamma." 

Janet  stared.  "Well,"  she  exclaimed  "Did 
you  hear  that,  Olive?  They  will  have  a  merry 
Christmas  with  that  old  sour  face  around." 

May  got  very  red.  "She  hasn't  a  sour  face. 
She  looks  lovely  sometimes.  My  papa  said  he 
had  no  idea  that  she  was  so  handsome  when  he 
saw  her  the  other  night  at  our  house.  I  reckon  if 
you  had  lost  your  father  and  mother,  and  your 
only  darling  little  sister,  you'd  be  sad,  too. 
And  if  some  hateful  somebodies  had  spilled  ink 
all  over  the  only  picture  you  had  of  your  dearest 
little  sister,  I  reckon  you'd  look  more  than  sad, 
Janet  Forrester." 

Janet  cast  a  startled  look  at  Olive  as  May 
walked  away,  digging  her  heels  angrily  into  the 
ground  as  she  went.  "Do  you  suppose  she 
knows  ?  "  she  whispered. 


2IO  Mistress  May 

*'No,  of  course  not,"  Olive  replied.  "It  is  all 
very  well  to  try  to  get  on  the  right  side  of  Miss 
Sour-Face,  and  I  think  it  is  a  very  mean  way  for 
May's  mother  and  Cousin  Florence  Dallas  to  do. 
Of  course  they  invited  her  to  their  houses  so  she 
will  be  nice  to  their  daughters.  My  mother 
wouldn't  do  it."  And  it  is  quite  safe  to  say  that 
Mrs.  Murdoch  would  not. 

Olive  lost  no  opportunity  of  giving  May  and 
Eleanor  to  understand  that  she  felt  herself  put 
upon  by  their  attention  to  Miss  Ellis,  and  declared 
that  it  was  easy  to  see  why  it  was. 

"  She's  just  the  hatefulest  girl  I  ever  saw," 
said  May,  to  her  mother.  "  Did  you  ever  hear  of 
such  a  thing,  mamma  ?  I  wish  she  would  go  to 
some  other  school.  She  is  the  one  that  keeps  the 
girls  stirred  up  against  Miss  Ellis.  I  don't  be- 
lieve even  Janet  would  be  so  hateful  if  it  were  not 
for  Olive."     May  was  almost  in  tears. 

"  Never  mind,  my  dear,"  her  mother  said,  sooth- 
ingly. "  So  long  as  one's  own  conscience  is  clear, 
it  is  all  right.  Don't  think  about  Olive  in  the 
matter.  Her  opinion  is  not  worth  anything  at  all. 
Think  about  what  a  good  time  we  are  going  to 


Her  Teachef  211 

have  at  Ckristmas,  and  remember  that  it  is  the 
season  of  peace  and  good-will.  Olive  makes  her 
own  misery  by  her  envious,  suspicious  nature,  and 
is  really  to  be  pitied,  for  she  doesn't  enjoy  life 
half  as  much  as  you  and  Eleanor  do." 

So  the  days  went  on,  till  Christmas  week  came 
with  its  bustle  and  flurry ;  its  smell  of  spicy  bak- 
ings in  the  kitchen  and  its  piney  odors  in  the 
other  parts  of  the  house.  Mr.  Snyder  brought  in 
such  a  lot  of  trailing  green,  big  branches  of  holly, 
and  a  fine  tapering  Christmas  tree.  He  brought, 
too,  a  big  plump  turkey,  which,  hanging  out  of  the 
second  story  window,  w^as  viewed  by  Jack  and 
May  with  much  agreeable  anticipation.  Miss 
Ellis  arrived  in  due  time,  and  was  so  helpful  and 
expert  in  hanging  greens,  dressing  the  tree,  and  in 
a  hundred  and  one  ways  that  Mrs.  Garland  de- 
clared that  she  had  never  felt  so  little  wearied  at 
Christmas  Eve.  Then  came  the  hanging  of  the 
stockings,  and  the  tying  up  of  gifts.  The  chil- 
dren made  many  mysterious  errands  to  their 
mother's  room,  and  went  to  bed  filled  with  high 
hopes. 


HER  HOUDAYS 


CHAPTER  Xn 
Her  Holidays 

It  was  a  cold,  snappy  Christmas.  May  and 
Jack  were  up  betimes  to  get  their  stockings,  and 
in  their  little  flannel  wrappers  to  stand  in  the  hall 
and  sing  their  Christmas  carol  outside  their 
mother's  door.  Then,  after  waking  everybody  up 
by  their  shouts  of  "  Merry  Christmas,"  they  scam- 
pered back  to  bed  to  cuddle  under  the  covers,  and, 
half  by  the  dim  light  and  half  by  feeling,  to  dis- 
cover the  contents  of  their  stockings. 

"It  is  getting  light,"  cried  May,  after  a  while. 
"  Let's  get  dressed.  Jack,  and  go  down.  It  must 
be  nearly  time."  Yet  they  were  down  before  any 
one  else.  How  could  grown  people  be  so  deliber- 
ate when  there  was  that  beautiful  tree  ready  to 
light,  and  those  presents  all  in  array  to  be  taken 
possession  of  by  those  for  whom  they  were  in- 
tended ? 

215 


2i6  Mistress  May 

"Let's  just  open  the  door  a  crack  and  poke  our 
noses  in,"  Jack  suggested.  "  It  is  pitct  dark  in 
there,  and  we  can't  see  a  thing,  but  we  can  smell 
the  tree." 

This  they  proceeded  to  do,  drawing  long  breaths 
of  satisfaction.  But  in  the  midst  of  this  slight  in- 
dulgence of  their  curiosity,  their  mother  appeared. 
"  Why,  my  dears,  what  are  you  doing  ?  Surely, 
you  are  not  peeping." 

"  No,  mamma,"  they  cried  in  a  breath,  and 
dancing  up  and  down  in  anticipation.  "We  are 
only  sniffing.  We  can't  see  a  thing.  Is  papa 
ready  ?  Are  we  going  in  now  ?  Is  Miss  Ellis 
coming  ?  " 

"  She  is  on  her  way  down,  and  here  is  papa 
with  Rosalie."  The  dancing  became  more  ani- 
mated, and  finally  they  all  filed  into  the  darkened 
room.  May  holding  fast  to  Miss  Ellis'  hand.  Then 
the  taper  was  touched  to  the  candles  upon  the 
tree,  and  presently  it  stood  in  all  its  glory  with 
the  presents  in  sight.  Next  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gar- 
land proceeded  to  distribute  these,  but  probably 
not  one  of  them  was  more  appreciated  than  May's 
gift  to  Miss  Ellis. 


Her  HoIicJays  217 

May  handed  it  shyly  to  lier  teacher.  "  I  hope 
you  will  like  it,  Miss  Ellis ;  I  think  it  is  lovely, ' 
she  said,  candidly. 

Miss  Ellis  opened  it,  and  when  the  little  pic- 
tured face  smiled  up  at  her,  she  gave  a  cry  of  sur- 
prise and  delight,  then  she  put  her  head  down  on 
May's  shoulder  and  fairly  sobbed,  to  May's  great 
distress. 

"  Oh,  please  don't,  Miss  Ellis,"  she  begged. 
"We  love  you,  indeed  we  do." 

Miss  Ellis  raised  her  head  and  smiled  through 
her  tears.  "  My  dear,  my  dear ;  this  is  so  like. 
What  a  beautiful  Christmas  you  are  giving  me. 
I  am  very  naughty  to  spoil  it  with  tears,  but  I 
couldn't  help  it,  for  it  was  such  a  surprise.  I 
promise  you  I  won't  do  so  any  more.  I  can  never^ 
never  tell  you  how  I  thank  you.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  all  the  world  I  would  rather  have." 

Jack  stood  off  watching  all  this  going  on.  He 
felt  that  the  occasion  was  a  little  beyond  him,  but 
he  bravely  did  his  little  best.  "  My !  Miss  Ellis, 
but  you  look  fine  in  that  red  dress,"  he  said. 

"  Oh,"  exclaimed  May,  "  we  were  so  busy  with 
the  presents  that  we  didn't  notice.     Miss  Ellis 


2i8  Mistress  May 

hasn't  on  tliat  sober  black  dress  any  more.  I 
am  so  glad.  You  do  look  lovely  in  red,"  she 
added,  admiringly.  "  Did  you  have  that  made 
specially  for  Christmas  ?  " 

"  EsjDecially  for  Christmas,  and  it  is  the  first  bit 
of  color  I  have  worn  for  four  years.  Now,  I  must 
go  and  tell  your  mother  and  father  how  I  thank 
them  for  my  beautiful,  beautiful  presents,  and 
especially  for  the  picture  that  your  papa  had 
made." 

But  here  breakfast  was  announced,  and  with 
May  on  one  side  and  Jack  on  the  other,  Miss 
Ellis  was  escorted  to  the  table. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garland  were  greatly  pleased 
that  the  picture  had  turned  out  so  weU.  "I  was 
sure  that  Hall  could  do  it,  if  any  one  could,'  Mr. 
Garland  said.  "By  the  way,"  he  went  on,  turn- 
ing to  his  wife,  "■  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  I  have 
invited  some  one  to  dinner  to-day ;  an  old  friend 
of  mine  who  has  been  in  the  Philippines  for  the 
past  six  months.  It  is  queer  how  things  come 
about,"  he  added,  reflectively.  "I  was  in  at 
Hall's  to  see  about  the  picture  when  the  Major 
came  in ;  he  recognized  the  photograph  at  once. 


Her  Holidays  219 

^Wliy.c  thai}  is  little  Evelyn  Ellis/  lie  said,  and 
then  lie  asked  all  about  you,  Miss  Ellis,  and  we 
had  quite  a  talk.  I  haven't  seen  him  for  years^ 
but  we  were  college  mates  when  I  was  a  Soph  and 
he  was  a  Fresh,  though  he  left  after  the  first  year 
to  go  to  West  Point." 

Miss  Ellis'  head  was  bent  over  her  plate,  and 
she  did  not  say  a  word  in  reply. 

"He  thought  you  would  remember  him,"  Mr. 
Garland  went  on. 

"  You  haven't  told  us  his  name  yet,"  Mrs.  Gar- 
land remarked,  laughing,  "  so,  how  can  Miss  Ellis 
be  expected  to  recognize  him  by  the  very  indefi- 
nite title  of  Major  ?  " 

"  Oh."  Mr.  Garland  laughed,  too.  "  It's  Leon- 
ard.    Major  Joe.  Leonard." 

The  color  had  flashed  up  into  Miss  Ellis'  face, 
but  now  she  was  very  pale.  "Yes,  I  remember 
him,"  she  said,  faintly. 

"Nice  a  fellow  as  ever  breathed,"  Mr.  Gar- 
land went  on.  "  I  thought  we'd  have  enough 
turkey  to  go  around,  if  Jack  doesn't  eat  it  all 
up.  You'll  give  the  Major  a  drumstick,  won't 
you,  Jack  ?     He  doesn't  have  turkey  every  Christ- 


220  Mistress  May- 

mas,  and  tlie  diiimsticks  will  remind  liim  of  the 
army." 

"  Yes,  sirree ;  I'll  give  'em  both  to  him,"  Jack 
returned,  "  then  I  won't  have  to  eat  'em  myself." 
At  which  every  one  laughed, 

"  I'm  so  glad  you  have  on  that  pretty  dress,"  said 
May,  confidentially,  to  Miss  Ellis.  "  You  do  look 
so  lovely  in  it.  Aren't  you  glad  the  Major  is 
coming?  I  am.  I  love  to  have  a  w^hole  lot  of 
company  on  Christmas  day." 

The  Major  arrived  in  due  time.  May  and  Miss 
Ellis  had  just  come  in  from  church,  so  the  red 
dress  was  not  in  evidence,  but  May,  lingering  on 
the  porch  to  speak  to  Snap,  saw  the  tall  gentle- 
man step  up.  "  Is  this  where  Mr.  John  Garland 
lives  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  May  replied.     "  Are  you  the  Major  ?  " 

"  That  is  what  they  call  me.  Are  you  Mr.  Gar- 
land's daughter  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am  May  Garland.  Come  right  in,  and 
I  will  go  and  tell  papa.  I  think  he  must  have 
missed  you,  for  he  said  he  was  going  to  the  sta- 
tion to  meet  you."  She  ushered  him  into  the 
hall,  where  stood  Miss  Ellis  removing  her  gloves. 


Her  Holidays  221 

She  stood  before  the  open  grate  fire,  but  turned 
as  she  heard  voices.  The  cold  walk  had  given  a 
pretty  color  to  her  cheeks,  and  May  thought  she 
looked  very  handsome. 

"Miss  Ellis,  here's  the  Major,"  said  the  little 
girl,  cheerfully. 

The  Major  stopped  short.  "  Katherine  !  "  he 
exclaimed. 

A  lovely  smile  broke  over  Miss  Ellis'  face. 
"  Joe,"  she  said,  holding  out  both  hands.  "  I  am 
glad  to  see  you." 

"  He  called  her  Katherine,  and  he  was  so  sur- 
prised to  see  her  here,"  said  May,  in  telling  her 
mother,  "  and  she  called  him  Joe.  They  must 
know  each  other  very  well." 

They  were  a  very  merry  company  at  dinner 
when  the  Major  insisted  upon  having  the  drum- 
stick which  Miss  Ellis  told  him  Jack  had  prom- 
ised to  give  up  to  him,  and  it  was  to  Miss  Ellis 
that  the  wish-bone  fell,  and  when  Mr.  Garland 
put  it  over  the  door  it  was  the  Major  who  deliber- 
ately walked  under  it,  though  why  Miss  Ellis 
should  blush  so,  and  Mr.  Garland  should  laugh 
and  clap  the  Major  on  the  back  and  say  :     "  Good 


2  22  Mistress  May 

for  you,  Joe,  my  boy ;  that  took  courage ; "  the 
children  could  not  see,  for  it  looked  a  very  easy 
matter  to  walk  under  a  wish-bone. 

Jack,  in  pai-ticular,  could  not  understand  it 
"  What's  the  reason  it  takes  such  a  lot  of  cour- 
age ?  "  he  asked  Miss  Ellis, 

"You'll  have  to  ask  the  Major,"  she  replied, 
blushing  again. 

"Was  it  hard?"  Jack  asked,  looking  puzzled. 
"  I  am  going  to  try."  But  the  Major  took  down 
the  wish-bone,  and  said  he  meant  to  keep  it,  and 
that  Jack  might  have  a  chance  of  learning  how 
hard  it  was  some  day. 

So  the  time  went  happily  for  them  ail.  The 
Major  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  it  was  the  happiest 
day  of  his  life,  and  Jack  wondered  whether  it  was 
because  he  liked  them  all  so  much,  or  whether  it  was 
because  he  was  not  used  to  such  a  good  dinner. 

"He  didn't  have  but  one  Christmas  gift,"  the 
little  fellow  remarked  the  next  day,  "  and  he  didn't 
tell  me  what  that  was."  Then  every  one  laughed, 
just  why  Jack  could  not  see.  "  He  told  me  a  fine 
story  about  Manila,"  he  informed  them,  "  and  he's 
going  to  tell  me  some  more  next  time  he  comes. 


Her  Holidays  22?, 

I  hope  he'll  come  often,  don't  you,  Miss  ElLis  ?  I 
think  he's  a  Jim  Dandy." 

Miss  Ellis  did  not  seem  to  have  any  answer, 
but  Jack  was  quite  sure  they  had  not  seen  the  last 
of  the  Major. 

But  the  holidays  which  began  so  happily  ended 
very  sadly  for  them  all,  for  Rosalie  was  taken 
very  ill  with  pneumonia,  and  a  gi*eat  sadness  hung 
over  the  household.  There  was  one  day  in  par- 
ticular that  May  never  forgot,  a  day  when  the 
house  was  so  quiet  and  every  one  spoke  in  whis- 
pers, and  when  Mrs.  Dallas  came  over  and  said  to 
Jack  and  May  that  they  must  go  over  to  her 
house  and  stay,  May  looked  up  with  quivering 
Mps  to  ask :  "  Is  she  doing  to  die,  Mrs.  Dallas  ?  " 

"  We  can  only  hope,  my  dear,"  Mrs.  Dallas  an- 
swered, gently.  "She  is  very  ill  and  must  be 
kept  very  quiet,  but  we  hope  she  will  get  well." 

May  ran  to  Eleanor  in  a  passion  of  tears. 
**  Oh,  Eleanor,  Eleanor,"  she  sobbed,  "  dear  little 
Rosalie  is  so  ill,  and  what  shall  I  do?  What 
shall  I  do?  I  can't  bear  to  think  that  I  may 
never  see  her  again.  She  is  so  dear  and  sweet, 
and  I  am  cross  to  her  sometimes.     Oh,  Eleanor !  " 


224  Mistress  May 

Eleanor  had  not  words  to  comfort  her,  and 
Bubbles,  who  dearly  loved  Rosalie,  cried  with 
May.     But  here  Sylvy  came  to  cheer  them. 

"  Don'  fret.  Miss  May,"  she  said,  "  dat  chile  ain' 
gwine  be  took  yet,  I  jus'  sho  de  Lord  won'  snatch 
huh.  Dis  is  de  tu'n,  an'  ef  she  get  th'ough  dis  all 
right  she  gwine  get  well,  yuh  hyar  me,  now. 

May  looked  up  through  her  tears  at  Sylvy's 
kind  face,  and  her  son'owful  little  heart  was 
lightened  a  little,  but  still  it  was  a  long  and  sad 
day  for  her.  The  children  could  do  little  to  en- 
tertain themselves,  though  Eleanor  did  read  aloud 
from  her  most  amusing  books,  and  they  tried  to 
get  absorbed  in  their  plays,  but  they  watched  and 
listened  for  news  from  the  other  house  all  the 
while.  Mrs.  Dallas  came  over  late  in  the  after- 
noon, and  told  May  and  Jack  that  they  must  re- 
main all  night,  and  that  by  morning  the  doctor 
would  probably  be  able  to  tell  what  they  might 
ex]5ect. 

*'  Miss  Ellis  is  such  a  comfort  to  your  mother/' 
Mrs.  Dallas  told  May.  "  No  sister  could  do  more. 
I  am  so  very  glad  she  is  there." 

It  was  Miss  Ellis  herself  who  wakened  Mav  the 


Her  Holidays  225 

aext  morning.  "  I  liave  come  to  tell  you  that  the 
baby  is  really  better,"  she  said.  "The  doctor 
thinks  with  care  that  she  may  get  well,  though,  of 
course,  there  is  still  great  danger,  but  I  think  it 
is  very  good  news  to  bring  you  that  he  gives  any 
encouragement  at  all." 

"  And  can  I  go  home  ?  "   May  asked,  eagerly. 

*'  Can't  you  content  yourself  here  for  to-day  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  see  mamma  and  papa,"  May  replied, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes.  These  dear  ones  seemed 
doubly  dear  when  this  trouble  was  upon  them. 

Miss  Ellis  considered  the  matter.  "I  think 
you  might  come  home  and  eat  breakfast  with 
them,  and  then  come  back  again.  I  think  your 
tnamma  and  papa  would  be  very  glad  to  see  you, 
and  I  know  you  will  not  make  a  noise." 

"  May  Jack  come,  too  ?  I  will  tell  him  that  he 
tnust  be  as  still  as  a  mouse,  and  I  know  he 
wm  be." 

"Yes,  he  may  come,  too." 

May  hugged  Miss  Ellis  very  closely.     "I  am 
so  glad  you  are  here,"  she  whispered,  gratefully. 
■"You  are  so  good." 
.   Miss  Ellis  leaned  down  and  kissed  her.     "If 


226  Mistress  May 

you  only  knew,  my  dear,  what  you  all  have  done 
for  me,  you  would  know  that  I  feel  that  nothing  in 
the  world  that  I  can  do  would  repay  you  for  all 
your  kindness.  I  nursed  my  own  little  sister, 
you  know,  and  so  I  feel  that  I  know  something 
about  the  care  of  little  sick  babies."  She  kissed 
May  again,  and  left  her  to  come  over  to  breakfast 
a  little  later. 

After  this,  Jack  and  May  breakfasted  at  home 
for  a  week,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  the  two 
children  could  go  home  to  stay.  But  even  then 
it  was  a  very  weak,  pale,  little  Kosalie  who  tried 
to  smile  at  them  the  first  time  they  were  allowed 
to  see  her ;  and  when  she  tried  to  say  in  her  faint 
little  voice  :  "  May,  Zack,"  May  could  not  stand  it, 
but  slipped  out  of  the  room  to  throw  herself  in 
Miss  Ellis'  arms  in  a  torrent  of  tears.  "  She  looks 
so  sick,"  she  sobbed.     "  Will  she  ever  get  well  ?  " 

"  She  is  much,  much  better,  and  will  soon  get 
strong,"  Miss  Ellis  assured  her.  "  Now  I  am  go- 
ing in  to  stay  with  her,  and  let  your  mamma  come 
out  for  a  while.  Do  you  remember  that  school 
begins  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  Oh,  so  it  does.     Oh,  aear,  the  holidays  haven't 


Her  Holidays  227 

been  very  nice,  have  they?  Except  Christmas 
day ;  that  was  lovely.  And  you  didn't  get  your 
visit  to  Mrs.  Dallas  after  all.  You  stayed  here 
and  helped  mamma  all  the  time.  You  won't  go 
back  to  your  boarding-house  right  away,  will  you, 
Miss  Ellis?" 

"  What  would  you  say  if  I  told  you  that  I  did 
not  mean  to  go  at  all,  at  least,  not  for  the 
present  ?  " 

"  I  woxdd  be  very  glad.  Are  you  really  going 
to  stay?" 

"  So  your  papa  and  mamma  say.  They  declare 
that  they  will  not  let  me,  and  so  what  am  I  to  do 
about  it  ?  " 

"  And  I  will  not  let  you  either."  May  flung 
her  arms  around  her. 

"  Then  it  would  seem  that  I  must  stay." 

"  Don't  you  want  to  ?  " 

"  I  want  to,  very,  very  much." 

"Then  it  is  all  right." 

"  Here  comes  your  mamma ;  she  will  tell  you 
more  about  ii  I  must  go  to  Eosy,  and  let  your 
mamma  take  a  breath  of  air.  She  has  not  been 
out  for  days." 


228  Mistress  May 

"  Are  you  going  to  walk,  mamma  ?  "  May  asked. 
«  May  I  go  with  you  ?  " 

"  If  you  like,  yes.     I  am  not  going  very  far." 

It  was  not  till  they  had  started  that  May  asked, 
"  Is  Miss  Ellis  really  going  to  stay  here  with  us?  " 

"  I  hope  so,"  Mrs.  Garland  replied.  "  She  has 
been  such  a  great,  great  comfort  to  us  in  this  hour 
of  trial ;  so  quietly  helpful,  so  gentle  and  kind." 

"And  just  to  think  that  the  girls  called  her 
cross  and  sour." 

"  She  was  only  sad  and  unhappy." 

"  And  will  she  be  happy  now  ?  "Will  it  be  be- 
cause we  make  her  happy  ?  " 

"  I  hope  it  will  be  partly  that,  but  I  do  not 
think  it  will  be  altogether  owing  to  us,"  Mrs.  Gar- 
land replied,  smiling. 

"Then  who?  Oh,  mamma,  is  it  the  Major?" 
May  stood  still  to  ask. 

"You  have  guessed  it.  Yes,  it  is  the  Major. 
She  has  known  him  a  long  time,  and  would  have 
married  him  several  years  ago,  but  she  would  not 
leave  her  father.  There  was  some  sort  of  quarrel, 
and  soon  after,  the  Major  was  ordered  away. 
Then  there  was  some  trouble  about  a  letter,  and 


Her  Holidays  229 

Major  Leonard  did  not  know  where  to  find  Miss 
Ellis  when  he  got  back,  so  you  see,  after  all,  the 
accident  to  the  photograph  turned  out  a  blessing 
in  disguise.  Yet,  if  my  little  girl  had  not  yielded 
to  a  kindly  impulse,  and  had  not  wanted  to  show 
her  sympathy  and  friendship,  Miss  Ellis  might 
never  have  met  her  Major  again,  and  we  should 
never  have  learned  to  love  her  so  well.  Indeed,  I 
think  we  owe  our  dear  little  Eosy's  safety  to  her, 
for  on  one  dreadful  night,  when  I,  in  my  inexperi- 
ence, did  not  know  what  to  do,  and  your  papa  had 
gone  for  the  doctor,  our  darling  baby  might  have 
died  but  for  the  prompt  act  of  Miss  Ellis,  who 
knew  just  what  to  do." 

May  gave  a  long  sigh  of  satisfaction.  "She 
won't  care  now  what  the  girls  say,  and  she  won't 
have  to  go  from  school  to  that  lonely  boarding 
place.  Is  she  going  to  stay  with  us  tiQ  she  gets 
married  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  hope  she  will." 

"  And  the  Major  is  a  friend  of  papa's.  Isn't  it 
all  like  a  story,  mamma  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  really  is,  but  the  real  stories  are 
very  often  to  be  found  close  to  us." 


230  Mistress  May 

"  "Will  they  be  married  very  soon  ?  " 

"  I  think  in  the  summer  sometime,  and  then  the 
marriage  wUl  take  place  from  our  own  home." 

"  Oh,  mamma,  how  lovely.  May  I  go  and  tell 
Eleanor?" 

"  Yes,  if  you  like.  I  think  it  is  no  secret,  now." 
And  May  ran  off  highly  delighted  to  have  this 
great  piece  of  news  to  telL 

It  was  quite  proudly  that  she  started  off  to 
school  in  company  with  Miss  Ellis  when  the  holi- 
days were  over.  Now  that  her  teacher  was  a 
member  of  the  family,  she  felt  that  she  had  a  bet- 
ter claim  upon  her  than  any  one  else,  and  with 
Eleanor,  she  fought  her  battles  valiantly,  so  that, 
in  time,  those  who  did  not  take  sides  with  their 
teacher  had  become  a  very  small  number.  Miss 
Ellis  seemed  so  much  brighter  and  cherrier,  too, 
that  no  doubt  this  was  one  cause  of  her  stronger 
influence  over  her  girls.  She  was  not  less  exact- 
ing, but  her  smiles  were  more  frequent,  and  the 
girls  grew  to  love  her  more  and  more. 

So  when  the  summer  came  and  the  Major  ar- 
rived and  bore  his  bride  away,  there  were  many 
wishful  eyes  that  looked  after  her,  yet  of  them  all 


Her  Holidays  231 

none  were  so  full  of  tears  as  May's.  But  the  long 
summer  days  were  before  her,  and  there  were 
Snap  and  Pat  and  Pinky,  the  latter  with  a  new 
family  of  kittens,  and  Suzette  a  mother  sheep,  all 
to  be  thought  of  and  visited ;  therefore,  when  May 
and  Eleanor,  with  their  arms  around  each  other, 
turned  back  from  looking  after  the  carriage,  which 
took  the  Major  and  his  wife  to  the  station,  though 
their  eyes  were  still  wet,  they  smiled  at  each 
other,  and  Eleanor  said :  "  I'm  glad  there  are  no 
Majors  to  come  and  take  everybody  away.  I'm 
going  to  the  stable  to  see  the  new  kittens." 

"  And  to-morrow  I  am  going  to  see  Suzette," 
said  May. 


GIRL  AVIATORS  SERIE5 

Clean  Aviation  Stories 

By  MARGARET  BURNHAM. 

Eloth  Bound.    Illustrated.    Price,  50c.  per  voL,  postpaid 

THE    GIRL    AVIATORS    AND 
THE  PHANTOM  AIRSHIP. 


OnM^AVKTORS 

i^^lDTHE 

PH^TOMAiRS4iP  Roy   Prescott   was   fortunate  in 

MARCABET8UBNHAM.J  havIng  3.  sistct  SO  clevcf  and  de- 
voted to  him  and  his  interests  that 
they  could  share  work  and  play 
with  mutual  pleasure  and  to  mutual 
advantage.  This  proved  especially 
true  in  relation  tc  the  manufacture 
and  manipulation  of  their  aero- 
plane, and  Peggy  won  well  de- 
served fame  for  her  skill  and  good 
sense  as  an  aviator.     There  were 

many  stumbling-blocks  in  their  terrestial  path,  but  they 

soared  above  them  all  to  ultimate  success. 

THE  GIRL  AVIATORS  ON  GOLDEN  WINGS. 

That  there  is  a  peculiar  fascination  about  aviation  that 
wins  and  holds  girl  enthusiasts  as  well  as  boys  is  proved 
by  this  tale.  On  golden  wings  the  girl  aviators  rose  for 
many  an  exciting  flight,  and  met  strange  and  unexpected 
experiences. 

THE  GIRL  AVIATORS'  SKY  CRUISE. 

To  most  girls  a  coaching  or  yachting  trip  is  an  adven- 
ture. How  much  more  perilous  an  adventure  a  "sky 
cruise"  might  be  is  suggested  by  the  title  and  proved  by 
the  story  itself. 

THE  GIRL  AVIATORS'  MOTOR  DUTTERFLY. 

\  The  delicacy  of  flight  suggested  by  the  word  "butterfly," 
the  mechanical  power  implied  by  "motor,"  the  abiltity  to 
control  assured  in  the  title  "aviator,"  all  combined  with 
the  personaUty  and  enthusiasm  of  girls  themselves,  make 
this  story  one  for  any  girl  or  other  reader  "to  go  crazy 
over." 

Any  volume  sent  postpaid  upon  rec^pt  of  price. 
EITRST  &  COMFANT   -    Publishers   -   NEW  TORE 


MOTOR  CYCLE  SERIES 

Splendid  Motor  Cycle  Stories 

By  LIEUT.  HOWARD  PAYSON. 
Author  of  "Boy  Scout  Series.*' 
Cloth.  Bound.     Illustrated.     Price,  50c.  per  vol.,  postpaid 
THE  MOTOR  CYCLE  CHUMS 

AROUND  THE  WORLD. 
Could  Jules  Verne  have  dreamed 
of  encircling  the  globe  with  a  motor 
cycle  for  emergencies  he  would  have 
deemed  it  an  achievement  greater 
than  any  he  describes  in  his  account 
of  the  amusing  travels  of  Philias 
Fogg.  This,  however,  is  the  purpose 
successfully  carried  out  by  the  Motor 
Cycle  Chums,  and  the  tale  of  their 
mishaps,  hindrances  and  delays  is 
one  of  intense  interest,  secret  amuse- 
ment, and  incidental  information  to 
the  reader. 


^ 


TheMotorCyde 

Chums 
ArouiKiflieWorlil 

Ueut£nastl3t!aid.P<g0(ai ; 


THE  MOTOR  CYCLE  CHUMS  OF  THE 
iSdORTHWEST  PATROL. 

The  Great  Northwest  is  a  section  of  vast  possibilities 
and  in  it  the  Motor  Cycle  Chums  meet  adventures  even 
more  unusual  and  exciting  than  many  of  their  experiences 
on  their  tour  around  the  world.  There  is  not  a  dull  page 
in  this  lively  narrative  of  clever  boys  and  their  attendant 
"Chinee." 

THE  MOTOR  CYCLE  CHUMS  IN  THE 
GOLD  FIELDS. 

The  gold  fever  which  ran  its  rapid  course  through  the 
veins  of  the  historic  "forty-niners"  recurs  at  certain  in- 
tervals, and  seizes  its  victims  with  almost  irresistible 
power.  The  search  for  gold  is  so  fascinating  to  the 
seekers  that  hardship,  danger  and  failure  are  obstacles 
that  scarcely  dampen  their  ardour.  How  the  Motor  Cycle 
Chums  were  caught  by  the  lure  of  the  gold  and  into  what 
difficulties  and  novel  experiences  they  were  led,  makes  a 
tale  of  thrilling  interest. 

Any  volume  sent  postpaid  upon  receipt  of  price. 

HUES!  &  GOMFANT    •    Publishers    -    NEW  TOBS 


;^^^gnilt; 


